Regional solidarity on fisheries deal vital: Raj

 THERE has to be regional solidarity for positive outcome from negotiations with European Union under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with regards to the fisheries trade agreements, an official says.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat director economic governance Shiu Raj said there had to be solidarity at all levels in terms of supply and demand chain of the fisheries sector.  

He said chairman of the Pacific’s African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP), and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was going to write to EU seeking a meeting in November.

Raj said the Pacific ACP leaders considered update of the EPA negotiations and had expressed their disappointment that the negotiations were taking too long

He said during the Pacific Tuna Forum in Fiji on Wednesday, the negotiations started in 2004 and was yet to be concluded.

He said trading between EU and Pacific was more than just fisheries.

Raj said under the EPA, the Pacific region already had access to the European market under the duty free quarter free access arrangement except for few products. 

“But as part of that arrangement, some of that arrangement we really want to put on the table is and the European Union has to agree to, is for us to get fresh and frozen tuna steaks and fillets to their market.”