Fishing for a future
The tuna fishery of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean is arguably the region’s greatest natural asset, with US$2 billion worth of tuna caught every year - a third of the world’s total. Despite the fact that two thirds of these fish are caught within the exclusive economic zones of the Pacific Islands, only one tenth of their value remains there.
This briefing paper by Oxfam New Zealand examines whether the conclusion of a comprehensive multilateral fisheries agreement, possibly as part of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) currently being negotiated with the European Union, could help remedy this imbalance, enabling Pacific nations to benefit more from their resource.
