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Final <strong>Report</strong>
RoO Derogation under the PACP-IEPA
3 PNG CANNED TUNA INDUSTRY
3.1 PNG Tuna Fishing Fleet
With a large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 2,437,480 km 2 in extent, and centrally located in the most
productive part of the western Pacific Ocean, PNG has become a tuna producer of global significance.
The annual catch in the PNG EEZ by the purse seine fleets which account for the majority of the tuna
catch (> 99%) 15 has been around 500,000 mt in most recent years, representing ~ 11% of the global
catch and 20% of the catch within the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) in 2009. 16 PNG also
has extensive archipelagic waters (640,000 km 2 – 26% of the total EEZ area) which it declared as
sovereign territory, along with territorial seas, under UNCLOS procedures, and has been law since 2004.
PNG was the first country to make use of this provision in relation to EU Rules of Origin (RoO). 17
The total purse seine fleet is a mix of PNG-flagged vessels, locally-based foreign (or chartered) vessels
which are linked to onshore development/processing through concessional access, and foreign fishing
vessels operating in PNG waters (but outside archipelagic waters) under bilateral access agreements. 18
The first two categories are considered to be under the competency of PNG, and hence, are generally
labelled the ‘PNG fleet’. Table 3.1 lists the number of vessels licensed in 2008 (pre-derogation) and
currently (2011). Certain foreign vessels have been permitted to fish within archipelagic waters on the
condition that fish is unloaded to onshore processing facilities (see later).
Table 3.1 Vessels licensed to fish in PNG by flag and permitted operating area - 2008, 2011
Category
Flag
Vessel numbers
2008 2011
Fishing area permitted as condition of licence
Domestic a PNG 9 12 All waters outside 12nm of land, island, reef
(archipelagic and EEZ)
Locally- based
foreign
(chartered) a Philippines (20), China (2),
Taiwan (4), Vanuatu (13)
33 39 Small-medium vessels 1,000 GT) 19 - EEZ waters only (i.e.
outside 12nm and archipelagic waters )
Foreign
a
China, FSMA + , Japan,
Korea, Philippines, Taiwan,
USMLT + , Vanuatu, other
128 (176) b EEZ waters (outside 12nm and outside
archipelagic waters)
Classified as ‘PNG fleet’
b
2010 figures - 2011 figures not available; other 2011 figures from NFA Licensing Database
+
FSMA = Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Arrangement, USMLT = US Multilateral Tuna Treaty
15 There is a domestic longline catch of 2,000-4,000 mt in most years, plus small catches by handline vessels
(pumpboats); there has been no domestic pole-and-line fleet operating in PNG since 1985, and the Japanese
distant water pole and line fleet does not have access to PNG waters.
16 Usu 2011 (Table 2).
17 Campling 2008.
18 Exceptions to this are vessels fishing under the US Multilateral Treaty and the FSM Arrangement (FSMA)
amongst PNA members, which are licensed to fish both within PNG’s EEZ and beyond, in the EEZs of the seven
other PNA members (i.e. Solomon Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati,
Tuvalu, Palau).
19 Super seiners of two companies – size not defined but > 1,000 GT in most cases; small-medium vessels with well
capacity < 600 GT are permitted to tranship at sea, usually in archipelagic waters.
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