PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOuRTH INTERNaTIONal FISHERS FORum

During the period of 1990-2007 there has been a decline in
fish size, particularly that of bigeye and this is illustrated in
Figure 4.
F$/Kg
Gross Prices for BE & YF in Japan
$30
75
70
$25
65
$20
60
$15
55
50
$10
45
$5
40
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Source: SOLANDER
Fig. 6: Gross prices for bigeye
and yellowfin in Japan
Yen
Gross FJD/Kg Exchange Rate Linear (Gross FJD/Kg)
Exchange Rate
Gross Prices for BE & YF in USA
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
$27
$22
$17
$12
$7
$2
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Ave. of Exchange Rate Sum of F$ Linear (Sum of F$)
Source: SOLANDER
Fig. 7: Gross prices for bigeye
and yellowfin in USA
F$
Unfortunately the weakness of the yen against the Fiji dollar
has negated the price increase.
Similarly the slight increase in USA prices has not
compensated for the drop in value of the US dollar.
Source: SOLANDER
Fig. 4: Average fish size
Whilst there has been some improvement in Japanese prices
for the large tuna, the weakness of the yen and US dollar
relative to Pacific Island currencies has resulted in a lower
gross return to the vessel operator. This trend has continued
in 2007, and the following figures show the gross return to
the vessel per kilogram. Over the period the cost of fuel and
air freight has doubled, and, consequently the returns in this
fishery have diminished to a position where the business is
only marginally profitable and there is no sinking fund for
vessel replacement or upgrading.
Of course the scenario I have just presented is not unique
to the domestic fleet and deep-water vessel owners face
similar circumstances—but how much more difficult it is
for a domestic industry trying to establish itself and to have
a more physical participation in the industry that is on its
doorstep.
The domestic industry longline vessels are smaller than
their deep-water counterparts. They mostly have a “fresh”
and freezer configuration. As a consequence of their size the
vessels remain locally based in their own and immediately
adjacent EEZs.
This leaves them vulnerable to seasonal change as shown
in this table. The Deep Water vessels have the option of
“following” the tuna in the quest for a year round fishery.
Source: SOLANDER
Fig. 5: Japan tuna prices
In “Yen terms” prices for bigeye and yellowfin have shown
an upward trend.
Source: SOLANDER
Fig. 8: Seasonal catch
Industry Perspectives on the Status of Latin American and Global Longline Fisheries
37