Report on the Implementation of the derogation to ... - Trade Websites

Final <strong>Report</strong>
RoO Derogation under the PACP-IEPA
• Implementation of the PNA Longline VDS – undergoing trials in 2011, with possible carryover
of the trials to 2012.
5.4.3 National level (Papua New Guinea)
PNG has had in place for some time a legislative framework for the management of its tuna and
associated resources which is provided by the Fisheries Management Act (1998) and the Fisheries
Management Regulations (2000). The Act establishes the statutory National Fisheries Authority and
provides for management of the NFA by a ten member Board, reporting to the Minister for Fisheries,
and with a chairman appointed by the National Executive Council.
The Act, which is currently under review, provides for management by formal fishery management
plans for the main commercial fisheries. These plans have the same status as fisheries regulations.
PNG developed the first comprehensive National Tuna Management Plan (NTMP) in the PNA region
(gazetted 1999) which served to guide the sustainable development of the fishery in the early 2000s,
and demonstrated the intention to conserve and manage tuna resources within PNG waters. With
rapid changes to both the fishery and regional/sub-regional management arrangements (e.g. WCPFC
CMMs, PNA Implementing Arrangements, VDS etc.), it became clear that the NTMP was in need of
considerable revision to harmonize it with other applicable instruments at the regional level. Steps
to undertake this revision have been underway since 2003, but only piece-meal changes have been
made. For example, the original TAC established for the surface tuna fishery (338,00 mt) has been
exceeded every year since 2005. An upward revision of this TAC to 500,000 mt has taken place, with
the approval of the NFA Board, 180 but in 2010, the PNG EEZ catch jumped to over 700,000 mt (see
Section 3.1), and the TAC has been revised further, to 700,000 mt 181 with limit and target reference
points still yet to be established and adopted. 182 A separate plan for the management of FADs in
PNG waters has also been gazetted, and will be incorporated within the revised NTMP. NFA has
recently committed to a formal revision of the NTMP, starting in early 2012. 183 PNG already receives
periodic scientific advice from SPC to inform the Plan, through the National Fisheries Status
<strong>Report</strong>s 184 and is well placed to revise the Plan quickly and efficiently. In December 2011, NFA Board
also approved the development of a management plan for PNG’s archipelagic waters, which is
scheduled to be drafted in 2012. 185
With the largest EEZ catch in the region in its productive waters, PNG faces considerable challenges
in constraining purse seine effort under the VDS and the requirements of CMM 2008-01. PNG
exceeded its 2010 VDS PAE by over 4,500 days, and despite some vigorous trading during the second
half of 2011, it appears certain that this will be exceeded again. A proposed increase in the present
TAE by 2,500 days 186 (see Section 5.4.2) might only partly alleviate this situation. In the final analysis,
180 L. Kumoru, NFA, pers.comm., September 2011.
181 Decision of the NFA Board, December 2011, but not yet gazetted.
182 Establishing national TACs for migratory species is not considered desirable by many scientists, but is
nonetheless widely used as guidelines. National TACs, which should be regarded a provisional guidelines, may
be permitted to change within overall limits set through the management framework (HCRs, CMMs etc.) to
reflect shifts in biomass distribution (i.e. ENSO effects, stock assessment shifts), shifts in spatial distribution of
effort (such as following closure of high seas areas) and long term stock changes, as well as changes in levels of
local exploitation.
183 NFA Board Member, pers. comm., December 2011.
184 See http://www.spc.int/oceanfish/en/ofpsection/sam/national-reports-a-advice; individual plans are
confidential to member countries; available now as hard copies, they will be accessed in future via secure web
pages and subject to semi-regular updates, on demand.
185 NFA Managing Director, S. Pokajam, pers. comm., December 2011.
186 PNA Ministerial paper in preparation at PNA Ministerial direction; not sighted by consultants.
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