Fiji Fisheries

He is critical of what he said was the inaction of the Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission in controlling overfishing in the high seas and the low catches within regional fisheries zones.

Mr Koroilavesau told the annual meeting of the Tuna Commission in Pasay City in the Philippines that Fiji does not want to see this continue as the country's fishery may collapse under the pressure.

The Tuna Commission makes its decision by consensus and easily deadlocked by recalcitrant fishing nations.

Fiji's fisheries minister, Semi Koroilavesau, said the country's export would only be 10,000 tonnes this year.

This would be down 2000 tonnes on what was exported last year.

Mr Koroilavesau told the Fiji Times this was because of the decreasing tuna population in Fiji waters, caused by changing weather patterns.

Photo: RNZI/Giff Johnson

The 'Set Size' campaign, launched this week by the Ministry of Fisheries, aims to stop the decline of inshore fisheries by encouraging people to avoid catching, selling, buying or consuming undersize fish.

A broad coalition of partners will be working with the ministry to create awareness among Fijians about the sizes fish need to reach to ensure they are breeding and replenishing fish stocks year on year.