Letters

A plea for the future of fishing

Since 1991 I have been been working as a helicopter pilot in US and Korean pur seiners or tuna boats as a fish splatter. My observation after seven years is that the quality of yellowfin tuna and skipjack has gone down tremendously.

The SPC must unite and have a scheme strong enough to preserve the fishing industry in the ocean. 1. To ban or stop the deep sea fishing for at least two years. 2. Increase the SPC observers assigned in every kind of fishing boat. 3. Limit the issuance of fishing permits to all kinds of fishing boats. 4. Request the US, Australia, NZ Navy boats patrol the Pacific especially the 12 mile coast lines and boundary limits.

When tuna started in the mid-1980s, it took three weeks to catch 1,000 tons. Now it take 30-60 days. Most purseiner boats are registered in the US, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Philippines, and the Solomons. A yellowfin tuna can weigh 80- 100 kilogrammes for a length of five years.

The catch, sizes, location of the tuna can

be monitored by the South Pacific Commission. In the past, the unloading was done at high seas for six months before a boat sailed to shore. Now, every boat has to unload in the nearest island in the Pacific.

Nets are used to catch the tuna. Tuna shows up on the surface of the water if small baits/fish are around. At night, lights are submerged under the water to attract the fish then the tuna. We make a set at four in the morning before sunrise. Normally, the fish stay together at night and swim a short distance. Sunlight tends to make the tuna spread out and stay down deep. It takes three hours to roll a net and we make two to three sets a day.

Maltreatment, food, medicines are com mon problems on boats. Crew come from Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Samoa, Peru, Fiji, Tuvalu, PNG, Japan, Taiwan and the US. Communication can be a problem at sea. Sometimes the crew swims to shore to avoid the maltreatment on the boat.

The time will come where fishing boats will be fighting at sea just to catch tons of tuna. It is happening now in the 90s, but

wait five more years when there is no more tuna in the ocean. Some boats have guns on board to scare people in other boats.

SPC should not give licence permits to boats with maltreatment of crew so that the seamen can be protected.

Helicopters are used to locate the school of fish and logs generally register in the US. Around 100 helicopters fly, made of single engine bell 47 and Huddles 500 C/D models.

It is common in tuna fishing to catch dolphins, whales, sharks, sting-ray, marlin and small milkfish. Anything below three kg is considered a reject and thrown back into the sea. Who among the islanders has the capacity to check the boats are 200 nautical miles away from shore? Mostly fishing boats sneak in at four in the morn ing, make a set on a log inside the 12 mile limit then sail as fast as possible before sunrise. Please include my observations to enlighten the minds of the next generation of Pacific people.

Jordan Javier

Santa Cruz, Philippines