Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 5. Fisheries Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
RAWAKI (PHOENIX)
As part of the South Pacific Commission’s Skipjack Survey and Assessment Programme in
Kiribati waters, trial fishing was conducted west of McKean, Abariringa (Canton),
Enderbury, and east of Rawaki (Phoenix) (Hallier and Kearney 1980). No fish were tagged
off of Rawaki (Phoenix).
B. OFFSHORE FISHERIES (TUNA)
In 1979, the 200 mile exclusive economic zone around the Phoenix and Line Islands was
declared (Teiwaki 1988).
In 1987, the U.S.A. and certain Pacific Island states entered into a Multilateral Treaty on
Fisheries (Crocombe 2001). Kiribati was one of the Pacific Island states that approved the
treaty. The Treaty allowed tuna purse seine vessels from the U.S. to fish in Kiribati waters
(including the Kiribati EEZ around the Phoenix Islands).
TBAP (1993) provided annual summaries for boat days for longline, pole-and-line and purse
seine vessels in the Kiribati EEZ from 1978 to 1990 (see Figure III-5.5 below).
Figure III-5.5. Annual boat days by longline (LL), pole-and-line (PL)
and purse seine (PS) vessels in the Kiribati EEZ, 1978 to 1990
(source: Tuna and Billfish Assessment Programme 1993).
TBAP (1993) provided annual summaries for bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack by gear type for
foreing vessels in the Kiribati EEZ from 1978 to 1990 (see Figure III-5.6 below).
Figure III-5.6. Annual landings of bigeye (BET), yellowfin (YFT), and
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