Asian fishermen return in force to Marshall Islands

by Gift Johnson

OPROVING that last year’s

fishing boom in the Marshall Islands was not a one-off affair, Asian purse seiners and fish carriers returned in force to Majuro in June. But, say Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) officials, the seven carrier transshipment vessels and more than 20 purse seiners that have anchored in

Majuro’s lagoon is only a fraction of the tuna transship ment activity that the capital will see in the next several months.

The return of tuna schools to the vicinity of the Marshall Islands and neighboring Kiribati, coupled with the fisheries department’s new pro-business atti tude is luring tuna boats and carriers to Majuro. Last year, the Marshalls saw a near tripling of revenues - from $3 million to more than $8 million - as

a result of a dramatic rise in the num

ber of foreign fishing vessels buying

licenses, as well as the transshipment fees and spin-off business the vessels and fishermen bring for local compa nies.

“We’re able to provide what they want, so the vessels are coming back,” said MIMRA Director Danny Wase. Competitive rates for fuel and supplies, good services and a drastic reduction in government red tape is making Majuro an attractive trans shipment center for the Asian fishing fleet compared to other Pacific

islands, Wase said. Majuro can expect to see as many as 30 carriers in the lagoon at one time, with dozens more purse seiners as the fishing season hits its peak in August and September, said MIMRA licensing officer Glenn Joseph. The larger cargo ships used to transship tuna from a dozen fishing boats to canneries in American Samoa and Asia. He pointed out that by trans shipping in centrally located Majuro, the purse seiners cut weeks off their

travel time to and from the fishing grounds - increasing the number of fishing trips each vessel can make in a year.

This is good news on the business front, but not all business people in

Majuro are applauding the fishing vis

itors. At the monthly Majuro Chamber of Commerce meeting in July, several business people reported the concern that the large carrier vessels are ille gally fueling the seiners in the lagoon, while some boats are dumping by catch overboard, polluting the lagoon.

One government official indicated that

government agencies involved are beginning to “wake up” to the need to take enforcement action against ves sels violating local laws. For its part, MIMRA places observers on the car rier vessels during all transshipment operations, recording and monitoring the tuna that were caught. It also makes unannounced visits to the ships. But the Marshall Islands has a reputation for lax enforcement and with five agencies - MIMRA, the

Environmental Protection Authority, Customs, Sea Patrol and the Port Author ity - all theoretically involved in monitoring and enforcement, there hasn’t been much in the way of

enforcement activity.

MIMRA charges minimal fees for the entry of trans shipment vessels and purse seiners to increase the number of ship visits because of the spin-off eco nomic benefits that the ships bring to the local economy.

“Last year, we got started at the end of the fishing season,” Joseph said of Majuro’s entry into the transshipment business beginning last September.

“This year, we’re starting

from the very beginning.”

Most of the seiners coming into port are Taiwanese, while a handful have been Korean. Wase said that with diplomatic ties in place, Tai wanese fishing companies are seri

ously considering Majuro more than

just a port for transshipping fish.

“The Taiwanese are very sincere about wanting to establish fishing related activities here,” he said. Their interest extends to such fishing boat related areas as the dry dock and net repair. “It’s just a matter of time for it to happen,” he said. ■

Millions of pounds of yellowfin tuna are being transshipped from purse seiners to carrier ships in Majuro's lagoon.