Fishing stalemate
p. 33 · Read in the full issue
JUST a few months after Papua New Guinea pulled the plug on fishing negotiations, Palau has now failed to reach a new agreement with Japan.
Palau wanted the fee in a lump sum to aid financial planning, while Japan held out for payment per vessel or per voyage. Palau also insisted on terms agreed to by members of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), for example that boats using members’ exclusive economic zones report high seas catches to aid resource management.
Palau Maritime Authority chairman Yukio Shmull said the country could lose licence fees and possibly aid: it had been made clear that Japanese aid was tied to fishing rights. Shmull said Palau had offered to extend the agreement for six months to allow talks to continue.
FFA director Philipp Muller said the agency would support Palau. It has been trying to persuade Japan to enter a multilateral agreement which would :over all the members’ economic zones, Dut so far Tokyo has stuck to its policy 3f negotiating separately with each :ountry. □