Kumoru new head of PNA

DEPUTY director of National Fisheries Authority Ludwig Kumoru has bene appointed chief executive officer of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA).
Current chief executive officer Dr Transform Aqorau will step down after a fisheries ministers meeting which will begin today and end on Monday in   Christmas Island, Kiribati.
Aqorau is expected to present a report on PNA’s progress during the meeting.
“In 2009, fisheries ministers asked us to establish the vessel day scheme (VDS) on a commercial basis,” Aqorau said.
“Our small office in Majuro achieved what the ministers requested.
“We did it with our own resources without donor funding.
“We will review our achievements, and then ask the ministers to endorse a series of policies to enable PNA to continued adding value to commercial initiatives to benefit the members.” The vessel day scheme is the centerpiece of PNA’s management of its purse seine fishery and now generates approximately US$400 million (K929 million) per year for PNA members compared to US$60 million (K139 million) six years ago.
Aqorau made the point that PNA has established the VDS as a commercially viable management scheme, and it has done this without relying on donor aid.
“We have harnessed the resources that we have to make this happen,” he said. Aqorau said important accomplishments over the past several years include:
Establishment of the PNA Office in the Marshall Islands and maintaining a small staff who have engaged with fisheries and other government personnel from member nations to implement numerous fisheries strategies for the benefit of PNA members.
Achievement of Marine Stewardship Council certification of free school caught skipjack in the PNA fishery, a world first.
The MSC sustainability certificate for tuna caught in PNA waters adds significant financial value to tuna products.
Aqorau said he recommended that PNA Observer Agency programme be expanded in scope not only to provide observers for vessels fishing under the FSM Arrangement, but for observer work throughout western and central Pacific and beyond.