Fisheries Cooperation with the Taiwan Tuna Purse Seine Boat-owners and Exporters Association

Press Release #0409-45
Palikir, Pohnpei – FSM Information Services
April 29, 2009

The National Oceanic Resource Management Authority (Authority) met on April 20-24, 2009 at the Foreign Affairs Conference Room.  All five members of the Authority were present. 

The members include Mr. Ricky Carl, representing Pohnpei State; Senator Robert Taulung representing Kosrae State, Mr. Thomas Tamangmow representing Yap State; Mr. Romio Osiena representing Chuuk State and Secretary Lorin S. Robert, being the At-Large representative. 
The Authority met for two days from the 20th to the 22nd to prepare itself for its consultation with one of its longtime bilateral fisheries partners - the Taiwan Tuna Purse Seine Boat-owners and Exporters Association (Association) on the 22nd-24th of April. 

The Association operates one of the largest purse seine fleet (approximately 34 vessels) operating in the region, including the FSM EEZ.  The FSM EEZ remains one of the Association’s productive areas of operation. 

The current bilateral fishing agreement, which will expire May 17, 2009, involved licensing all 34 fishing vessels for six months to fish in FSM EEZ with a fee of $45,000 per vessel. The parties renewed their agreement with a new licensing system. That is using the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS). Instead of the usual licensing by the number of vessels the Association will have to buy days for their fleet. This newly concluded agreement will bring in over $100,000 per vessel.  This has the potential to increase further as the vessels need and purchase more days.

The newly settled bilateral agreement is breaking new ground, being the first purse seine bilateral agreement to incorporate the VDS and the Third Arrangement implementing the Nauru Agreement (3IA). The consultation ended on good notes of appreciation to the Association from the Authority and vice versa for the time and effort for consultation and mutually beneficial outcomes.  It will also be an agreement with the highest fee per vessel.

The new agreement will be transmitted to the FSM Congress for review and further action as provided in Section 405 of the Marine Resources Act of 2002. 

For more information about this subject, please contact the Office of NORMA at norma@mail.fm.