Steps to climb

Kenilorea: no Steps to climb

SOMETHING Sir Peter Kenilorea won’t miss about his old «Jjob are the stairs.

As Solomon Islands’ Minister of jrcign Affairs and Trade Relations, his fice was on the sixth floor of the nthony Saru building in Honiara a t of a struggle to get to when the lifts ive a habit of breaking down.

The lifts were playing up when PIM sited in November during his last week office.

“Sorry I’m a bit late,” apologised enilorea as he strode in, puffing after e climb. “I’m also the family driver id I had to drop my wife off.” He ughed and invited his guest into his [ice.

“Let’s have a cold drink to make up r the stairs,” he said opening a can of nonade.

A visitor to his office is immediately it at ease by the former Prime mister’s informal style and personal terest in his guest.

Kenilorea, 48, left politics in the wings r a while when he took over as director Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) at cir Honiara headquarters on Novem rll for a three-year term. He replaces lilipp Muller w'ho is the new Director the South Pacific Applied Geoscience jmmission (SOPAC) in Suva.

Kenilorea did some of his high school ucation in New Zealand before attend r Admore Teacher College in 1966 and 67. He returned to the Solomons to ich at King George VI secondary tool in Honiara from 1968-1970, then gan his political climb when he came. Secretary of Finance in 1971.

He held the position until 1974 w'hen was appointed District Commissioner Eastern District. He was first elected Parliament in 1976 and the same year s elected Chief Minister. He became ime Minister when the country gained litical independence in July, 1978.

He was the Leader of the Opposition m 1981-1984, Prime Minister from 34-86, and Deputy Prime Minister m 1986-1988. In October 1990 he left : Opposition to become the Minister of reign Affairs and Trade Relations in : current Solomon Mamaloni-led Gov

iment of National Unity.

ECenilorea’s outspoken remarks about ! role of the FFA during the South cific Commission (SPC) meeting in nga in October show's he has been :paring himself for his new job.

He believes it is time to look at one

regional autonomous body responsible for fisheries in the region. He wants to put all regional fisheries functions and responsibilities under the FFA roof, implying that the fisheries work the SPC is doing is duplicating FFA work.

He said the formation of the SPC was a commendable idea and they were doing good work, but the basic difference between it and FFA was membership.

“One has metropolitan countries as members, and the other is essentially for regional island nations.”

However, Kenilorea admitted that in practice his idea of one body might not work: “In practice they are different organisations. I suppose we have to understand that.”

The FFA was established in 1979 and has 16 member countries. They are Australia, the Cook Islands, the Feder

ated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Western Samoa. Its work in cludes protecting the Pacific’s huge tuna stocks from foreign poaching fishing vessels, and keeping a watch on the 2600 foreign fishing boats licensed to fish in the FFA member countries’ 200-mile economic zone. It offers advice, develops techniques for tuna catching, canning and selling.

The agency’s eyes also are on North America, Europe and Asia which consume mil lions of dollars of tuna and other ocean products annu ally.

Kenilorea said a lot of potential for growth existed in the Solomon Islands fishing industry, but they should not issue fishing licences left, right and centre.

“I think we have great potential that is not being realised, the Solomon Islands is a country where fish die of old age which means there are plenty out there we are not catching,” said Kenilorea, as he burst into infectious laugh ter at the joke.

The Solomons have one tuna cannery, Solomon Taiyo Limited a joint venture between the government (51 per cent) and a Japanese company. Kenilorea said the

government also could enter into an agreement with British Columbia Packet's to set up a second cannery.

Kenilorea, who is regarded as some thing of an elder statesman of Solomon politics, said he would “close the door” on politics during his “detour” to FFA.

He resigned as a minister and a member of Parliament, interrupting a continuous 15-year political career representing the East Arc Are constituency.

“Certainly for the next three year politics will have to be left in abeyance and wait somewhere. I do not mind using my abilities if it is the desire both of my people and this country to see me back.”

Will we ever see him back as Prime Minister? “I am not very old, let’s put it that way. There is every possibility- — in Solomon Islands politics anything can

happen.” □

Politics on hold: Forum Fisheries Agency director