Islands sign fishing treaty with U.S.

Press, 4 April 1987, Page 7

Islands sign fishing treaty with U.S.

By

IAN VALLANCE

through NZPA Port Moresby Pacific island nations have signed a historic fishing treaty with the United States. The five-year agreement provides for the payment of at least SUS6O million ($106.8 million) to the 16-member Forum Fisheries Agency over five years. The signing was greeted by Pacific island representatives at the Port Moresby ceremony as a milestone in both regional and international relations. The treaty ends years of often bitter negotiations with the United States, as American boats ignored both declared economic zones and territorial boundaries in their search for migrating tuna. Twelve F.F.A. nations signed the document: New

Zealand, Australia, Nauru, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Western Samoa and Papua New Guinea. The F.F.A. director, Philipp Muller, said Niue, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu had all indicated their intention to sign soon. The treaty must be ratified by 10 countries before coming into effect — including three key fishing nations, P.N.G., Kiribati and Micronesia. Mr Muller said he expected P.N.G. would be the last to ratify, as the P.N.G. Parliament would not meet again until August Earlier, the F.F.A. nations signed an internal agreement providing for the administration of the treaty and setting a formula for distribution of the money.

The United States multi-lateral fisheries treaty provides for the payment of SUSIO million ($17.8 million) cash annually to the: F.F.A., of which SUSI million ($1.78 million) will be paid in project assistance. ■. Fifteen per cent of the balance will be distributed equally among F.F.A. nations, with the rest divided according to the catch. The treaty also provides for payment of industry fees and technical assistance, totalling SUS2 million ($3.56 million) in the first year. The treaty entitles the United States to have up to 35 tuna boats in the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones claimed by F.F.A. nations. Most of the catch is expected to be taken from the waters of the three key nations.