US offered tuna treaty compromise

SUVA – Pacific nations have reached agreement to accept American terms to try and resurrect the tuna treaty which fell apart last month.

At three days of meetings this week in Nadi the members of the Forum Fisheries Agency debated what to do about a US plea to buy fewer fishing days in their fishing zones.

The US’s reneging had cost the Pacific more thanUS$ 68 million.

The FFA member states this week put the focus on moving forward to try and conclude a deal with the US and mitigate the financial loss.

The FFA’s director general James Movick said they have a deal they hope the US will still accept.

“We have agreed. We looked at the US request and we agreed to offer to take back a number of days from the United States, from the treaty which we hope will be sufficient to enable them to proceed, given what they say is their economic situation.”

Movick says once the FFA has a deal in place for 2016 it will be looking for a multi-year arrangement with the US has it has had in the past. - RNZI