NFA system impresses magistrates

Port Moresby District Court principal magistrate John Kaumi says that the National Fisheries Authority’s (NFA) vessel monitoring system (VMS) is critical and an eye-opener for all magistrates.
Kaumi is among participants, mostly from the Magisterial Services and the legal fraternity, at a workshop in Madang on how to deal with illegal fishing activities in PNG.
He said that the VMS management system was important for magistrates to know the technology in collecting evidences, principally to manage the fisheries and marine resources.
“This is an eye-opener for those of us sitting on the bench to understand this  technology so that we are fully aware of how evidence is collected through the systems that are in place,” Kaumi said
“This will allow us to prepare well when dealing with fisheries matters.”
Kimbe District Court principal magistrate Patanoia Tirese said he was impressed with the system and management tools developed, fully integrated by NFA for the conservation and management of fisheries resources.
Kaumi and Tirese spoke after NFA’s vessel monitoring and surveillance manager David Karis made a presentation on how vessels were monitored and how effectively fisheries laws were enforced.
Karis said all fishing activities were fully monitored through VMS systems.
The magistrates and other judicial staff were shown the roles and management measures taken by NFA, especially to enforce laws to fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) activities in PNG waters.
The workshop revealed that NFA was instrumental in the management and conservation of fisheries and marine resources but more needed to be done together with line agencies like Customs, Immigration, police and defence.
NFA’s monitoring, control and surveillance executive manager Gisa Komangin said the workshop was important as it would help to  educate law agencies to fully understand the various technologies used by NFA to combat IUU activities and to manage and conserve the country’s fisheries resources effectively.