MEDIA RELEASE FROM TOKELAU 1 MAY 2012: The Ulu of Tokelau, Faipule Kerisiano Kalolo, today signed an agreement on behalf of the people of Tokelau and the eight Pacific Island Countries that make up the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) to join the highly successful purse seine vessel day scheme (VDS).

The eight PNA countries that include the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Republic of Marshal Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu established the VDS in 2007. The VDS is the system that is used to sustainably manage the world’s largest tuna fishery that is located in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

The PNA Fisheries Ministers are meeting at Alotau in PNG to make key collective decisions in respect to the conservation and management of their tuna fisheries. Tokelau’s application to participate in the VDS was positively and warmly considered by the Fisheries Ministers.

Recently the VDS was awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The MSC certification clearly demonstrates the integrity and the success of the VDS in sustainably managing the Western and Central Pacific Skipjack Tuna and Yellow-fin Tuna fish stocks.

The VDS has also provided the foundation for the sustainable economic development of the PNA countries. Over the last 3 years revenue earned by countries participating in the VDS has more than trebled and it is forecast to increase further over the next 3 years.

The Faipule said that, “Tokelau shares mutual interests with the PNA countries and is of a view that by working cooperatively with the PNA it will further strengthen the VDS and bring mutual benefits to all parties”

The Faipule also noted that “joining the VDS is an integral part of the new Tokelau Fisheries Policy and associated Offshore Fisheries Plan designed to maximize the economic benefits to Tokelau from the sustainable use of it’s Exclusive Economic Zone”. “Tokelau does not have the comparative advantages to develop their own large scale catch, processing and marketing sectors. It’s fisheries economic development will focus on maximizing the benefits that comes from being a fisheries resource owner”

While participating in the VDS will impose some relatively small management and administration costs on Tokelau, the benefits, that are estimated to be in the millions of dollars, will far exceed these costs. 

The Faipule further added, “Strategically, the sustainable economic development of our EEZ is a critical step towards a greater level of self reliance and self determination”. 

ENDS