SEAFOODNEWS.COM [PNG Post Courier] — February 4, 2015 — Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu are facing a European Union (EU) tuna import ban if they do not take action on illegal fishing.
The three Pacific nations have received yellow cards from the EU for non-compliance with its laws designed to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency director-general James Movick last week told the ABC's Pacific Beat program that in the case of Solomons Islands, virtually all their fisheries exports were going to Europe.
He said it was essential Pacific fisheries worked with the agency to meet all aspects of EU fishing regulations as a ban would be catastrophic for the region's tuna industry.
"It would be virtually impossible to develop alternative markets within the six-month period, plus there would be a reputational issue if you're banned in one market then certainly the level of scrutiny in another market would presumed to be higher," he said.
Sol Tuna managing director and Pacific Islands Tuna Industry Association chairman Adrian Wickham said the industry in Solomon Islands was taking the European Union's warning seriously.
He said tuna industry representatives in the Solomons met with the fisheries minister last week and were assured the government was taking all the necessary steps to avoid a yellow card.
Mr Wickham said the government was planning to pass a bill to ensure better regulation of the nation's fisheries industry.
"It is all about process and procedures and reporting systems and one of the most important instruments that has to be put in place is the new fisheries act," he said.
"We are assured by government at the prime minister's level even, that the new fisheries bill will be tabled in parliament at the next sitting."
Mr Wickam said he believed by working with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, Solomon Islands would be able to avert an EU ban on the nation's tuna.
He said the Solomons had provided the EU with an action plan.
This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.