FFA assists Fisheries staff and Government Departments to boost their perception on US Treaty

IMG20180718111818 (2)Mr Kaburoro Ruaia, the US Treaty Manager and Ms Kasipo M Teo, the legal officer from the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) office, conducted a US Treaty workshop at the new Fisheries building conference room this month. The consultation was run from 18th to 20th of July 2018.

The consultation was made to assist Fisheries staff, and the departments of Finance, Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General’s Office in the ratification of the Amendments to the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America.

Mr Ruaia, presented to the stakeholders who attended the workshop, the status and an update on the treaty and the status of its ratification. He further looked at the benefits that the treaty has provided to the Tuvalu Fisheries Department and the Tuvalu Government as a whole.

Ms Kasipo stressed the importance of ratifying the amendments to the US Treaty for the region and to Tuvalu in particular. This included the benefits that the Treaty provides to Tuvalu and the region as a whole.

The Pacific Island States and the government of the United States of America agreed to the US Treaty on 6th December 2016, concluding it on the 6th December 2016 in Nadi, Fiji. Since that time, the Treaty has operated on a provisional arrangement under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Pacific Island states (except for Fiji and Australia) whilst pending ratification by all Pacific Island states and the US.