A new five-year fisheries protocol to the sustainable fisheries partnership agreement was signed between the European Commission (EC) and the Republic of Kiribati on 2 October 2023. The new protocol will permit EC fishing vessels to restart operations in the fishing grounds of Kiribati. provides the EC vessels access to one of the world's richest and healthiest tuna populations found in the Pacific Ocean, an area that accounts for more than half of the world's tuna catch. For the first time the EC and Kiribati agreed upon a regime based on effort management (fishing days) rather than catch management (reference tonnage). This regime is more aligned with Kiribati's domestic law and with how the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the tuna regional fisheries management organisation established in the region, manages its purse seine tropical tuna fisheries. The EC purse seiners will be permitted to fish for up to 160 days per year, with the option for shipowners to purchase more days only in the event that there is sound scientific evidence that the tuna stock conditions permit further expansion of fishing operations. The fisheries protocol establishes an effective framework for monitoring, controlling, and surveillance that will enable both parties to ensure that EC vessels adhere to national, sub-regional, and regional conservation and management measures. Under the new protocol, over the next five years, EC and shipowner’s contributions could total around EUR 18 million, including payments of EUR 2 million to support the implementation of initiatives taken in the context of Kiribati's sectoral fisheries and maritime policy. The sectoral support programme will enable Kiribati to improve the capability of its Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development and to continue implementing sustainable fisheries policies. In particular, it will enable Kiribati to improve the livelihoods of artisanal fishers, strengthen monitoring, control, and surveillance capabilities, and maintain its food safety standards for both domestic consumption of seafood and export.
Source: https://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/news-events/trade-and-market-news/q4-2023-oct-dec/en/