Denarau, Fiji 8 December 2016: The refusal of distant water fishing nations to take any action in the face of the impending collapse of the northern Pacific bluefin tuna fishery demonstrates the intransigence of these fishing nations in the face of overwhelming evidence of the problem, said Parties to the Nauru Agreement CEO Ludwig Kumoru Thursday in Fiji.

Denarau, Fiji 8 December 2016: The United Nations General Assembly voted today to establish World Tuna Day as an internationally-recognized event.

   The event initiated by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) in 2011 has now gained international ratification for the annual celebration of tuna on May 2.

   The United Nations General Assembly voted without objection to ratify a resolution on World Tuna Day that had been endorsed by nearly 100 nations prior to today’s vote at UN headquarters in New York City. Ambassadors from PNA nations attended the vote.

Denarau, Fiji 7 December 2016: Concern over illegal fishing by so-called “blue boats” was expressed by officials from the Parties to the Nauru Agreement during this week’s Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual meeting in Fiji.

   Denarau, Fiji 6 December 2016: Concern over the “disproportionate burden” placed on small islands by some conservation management initiatives was highlighted repeatedly by members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) during the first two days of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) now meeting in Fiji. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region was also a focus of PNA member comments.

   Denarau, Fiji 5 December 2016: The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting opened today in Fiji with a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony and a call by the organization’s chairperson to appreciate “the value of incremental progress” in the Commission’s decision making process for fisheries conservation and management.

   Nadi, Fiji 4 December 2016: A resolution to establish May 2 as World Tuna Day is scheduled for a vote at the United Nations General Assembly later this week.

   Nadi, Fiji 3 December 2016: Parties to the Nauru Agreement representatives briefed media from the Pacific region during a workshop that is being held in conjunction with the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

   PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru, PNA Commercial Manager Maurice Brownjohn, and Federated States of Micronesia fisheries Executive Director Eugene Pangelinan spoke Thursday and Friday on a range of fishery issues to journalists from eight nations.

   Nadi, Fiji 2 December 2016: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) met Thursday in Nadi to finalize their strategy for the 13^th Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting that opens Monday 5 December at the Sheraton Resort in Denarau, Fiji.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 25 November 2016: The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission needs to focus on controlling fishing on the high seas when the multi-national body meets for its annual meeting in Fiji next month, said the head of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement fisheries bloc.

   “The Tuna Commission (WCPFC) needs to be concerned with non-compliance with fishing rules on the high seas,” said Ludwig Kumoru, PNA CEO, on the eve of the WCPFC annual meeting December 5-9 in Nadi.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 29 October 2016: How do you manage a multi-billion dollar fishery in nine distinct fishing zones with multiple nations fishing? Five years ago, it was mostly done with a hand calculator and pencil, and by transmitting data by email or fax. Today, the fishery that is generating US$400 million a year to nine Pacific islands is managed by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement’s Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS) that allows managers to know what is taking place in their fishing zone with a tap of their computer keyboards.