US helping to find fisheries resolution

 THE United States had been communicating with Pacific Island party representatives and consulting with US industry to help facilitate a resolution to the impasse over fishing access this year.

The United States Embassy in Port Moresby said this in a statement yesterday.

The embassy was responding to a query by The National regarding the United States’ withdrawal from the fisheries treaty in January.  

 “Thanks to cooperation and compromise on both sides, we finalised revised terms of access for 2016,” the embassy said in a statement.

“United States industry is responsible for making full and timely quarterly payments according to the revised terms in order to receive and maintain licenses from the Pacific Island parties to fish in the Treaty area for the rest of the year.  

“We now look forward to focusing on the important discussions about whether the Treaty can be restructured and maintained in a way that is mutually acceptable and continues to provide benefits to both sides over the long term.”