Photo: Penny Wong
The Australian government has signed a new five-year deal with foreign fisheries agencies to address illegal fishing in the Pacific region including Papua New Guinea waters.
This was revealed by Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in response to questions on illegal fishing. Wong, who was on a three-day visit, said that access to sovereignty around fisheries was critical in the region.
“Access to fisheries around sovereignty is a critical development and economic and food security benefit for the nations of the region and PNG,” she said.
“Fisheries is critical to people’s livelihoods for prosperity and critical to food security,” Wong said as development and climate change progress continued there would be more pressure on fisheries.
“We are going to see more and more pressure on fisheries and there will be more and more sovereignty questions raised.
“We have signed a new five-year deal with Foreign Fisheries Agencies.
“The Pacific Island focus is on this and we’ve worked with World Trade Organisation with Pacific Island nations to reduce subsidies for illegal fishing to protect people’s value in the exclusive economic zone.”
Wong said that the Pacific Island Fisheries Forum Agency had increased aircraft monitoring as well.
“In governments, we have committed to doubling aerial surveillance through the Pacific Island Fisheries Forum Agency to combat illegal fishing.
“We are also committed to providing fast patrol boats another additional one to the boats being delivered.
“We understand illegal fishing is a big issue for PNG and for the region,” Wong said.
Reference: Tarawa, Helen. The National (1 September 2022). “New five-year fisheries deal sealed”.
