FFA boosts Solomons maritime efforts to tackle IUU Fishing

THE Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) this week stepped in to help advance the efforts of the Solomon Islands Maritime Police to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing with a new camera body technology assistance.

FFA DFO Allan Rahari, third from right, and colleague Yohni Fepuleai, far left, join RSIPF staff to present the body camera technology. Photo: FFA

A brief statement from the FFA said Solomon Islands’ efforts to combat illegal fishing will be enhanced with the support of the new body camera technology supplied.

FFA Director Fisheries Operation Allan Rahari and Surveillance Operations Officer Yohni Fepuleai met with Solomon Islands Director Maritime, Nevol Soko and Commanding Officers for the official handover of the cameras on board RSIPV Taro at Aola Base.

During the handover ceremony, Rahari explained that this first phase provides support for vessel search and evidence collection, improving integrity and accuracy of reports, and enhancing safety of officers. 

“The tools have been procured to enhance regional monitoring and surveillance and in response to Members’ equipment resource requests. Some of the needs include safety equipment and innovative technology in response to COVID-19 impacts on restriction of movement and contact onboard vessels,” Mr Rahari explained.

Welcoming the aid, RSIPF Maritime Division Director Nevol acknowledged the FFA support.

“Police Maritime have never had cameras for boarding officers before so these cameras will certainly contribute to the safety of officers,” said Director Nevol.

“They will help us in implementing COVID-19 protocols and in collecting evidence during sea inspections.

“Both boarding parties of RSIPV Taro and Gizo will be equipped with cameras during patrols and inspections. We sincerely thank the FFA Director General for this resource support,” he added.

Solomon Islands RSIPF is one of the beneficiaries of the support to 10 Member Countries. This support is funded by the FFA PROP program, which is funded by the World Bank.

Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) responds to Fisheries Article

 

TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) wish to thank the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) for finally came out public to shed some light on the number of complaints by citizens, who claimed were denied equal opportunity in the trading of beche-de-mer.

However, TSI must say that the content of the article by MFMR will not help this country to solve the many injustices felt by locals who strive to maximise the benefits from their marine resources.

The article by TSI published in Solomon Star on Thursday 30^th September 2021 was generally served as a reminder to our responsible authorities, particularly MFMR to ensure past grievances of locals engaging in the trade of beche-de-mer is not repeated in this current harvesting season. The article was no way intended to prompt any form of defense to appear perfect in the public eyes, as what is obviously seen in the respond by fisheries.

Unfortunately, it was so pathetic that fisheries take the article with very immature perception of the efforts to at least save the nation from high prevalence of corruption, by attacking TSI.

Firstly, MFMR should accept that the article was based on complaints raised by citizens who felt discriminated by the ministry responsible to ensure there is equal opportunity for locals engaging in beche-de-mer trading. 

Whether the complainant was true in his oral account or not, Ministry of Fisheries should be more concern on providing equal opportunity for everyone wishing to harvest, buy, trade or export beche-de-mer.

The message intended by TSI to convey in the article for the responsible ministry and other relevant authorities was a plea for fairness, justice and equal opportunity for every local who wish to engage in the beche-de-mer business during this harvesting season. The case of Dr. Aipia was used as an example of what we do not want it to be repeated in this opening season and the future.

The notion of discrimination in the scramble for sea cucumber emerged in the past cases that went as far as the magistrate court in year 2017 and the High Court in 2018, and now Director of fisheries confirmed in his article that they have challenge the recent High Court victory by Dr. Aipia in the Court of Appeal. That is a matter for the courts now.

Having said the above, Ministry of Fisheries must learn from the past cases and do improve to ensure the management, trading and commercialization of sea cucumber maximise the benefits to resource owners, government and citizens.

//end// 

MFMR clarifies misleading TSI statement on Beche-de-mer

THE Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) has clarified a misleading statement published recently by watchdog group, Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI).

Last week,  TSI claimed the ministry has been inconsiderate in its handling of the issue of beche-de-mer (BDM) which saw increasing number of Asians going to Malaita Outer Islands (MOI) with their local business partners to buy BDM products from resource owners.

However in a statement yesterday, the MFMR described the allegations by Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) as grossly misleading and lacks credibility.

Edward Honiwala, the Director of Fisheries at the Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources (MFMR).

“As a watch dog organisation, TSI has failed miserably to cross check for facts before publishing such allegations in the media,” Edward Honiwala, the Director of Fisheries said.

MFMR wishes to clarify that while the Ministry has the overall control over the management of sea cucumber (BDM) fishery, the Provincial Government and the resources owners have the right to decide on who to do provincial and community trading of their BDM products during the opening season. 

To be fair in their report, TSI should go down to the people and get their side of the stories, rather than misleading this paper with one person’s side of the story.

On the other issues raised by TSI, MFMR wishes to inform the public of the followings;

•   On the allegations of unfair treatment, colluded by government officials to target Dr Aipia or deny him from participating in the BDM fishery, is totally false.  All the arrest of Dr Aipia were in relation to illegal harvesting of sea cucumber during the closed period. During the last BDM opening season (2018/2019) MFMR awarded Dr Aipia with a Licence to export BDM. TSI as a watch dog should properly do their research before hitting the media with biased, unprofound and misleading information.  
• On the current claim for compensation by Dr Aipia as stated in the TSI article, the matter is appealed and is still pending before the Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands to determine the substantial issues. As such, MFMR will not make any statement here regarding this matter.
• With regards to the allegation that the Police was trying to arrest Dr Aipia when he was on a fishing trip at Roncador Reef, this is false and misleading information by the watch dog TSI. To put the records straight, the two vessels were spotted on the Roncador Reef by a surveillance plane. At that time, no one knew that the two vessels were hired by Dr Aipia and to say that Police and Fisheries targeted Dr Aipia in this operations is a total liar. As a procedure according to section 65 (4) of the Fisheries Management Act 2015, a police officer acting within the limits of his or her authority is deemed to be an authorised officer under the Act and section 65 (2) of the Act provides for authorised officers of MFMR appointed as authorised officer to carry out monitoring and surveillance operations, and any vessel suspected must be boarded at sea for inspection, this is normal fisheries surveillance and monitoring operations. Upon boarding, the boarding Party knew, that it was Dr Aipia that hired these vessels for fishing.
• And for the TSI to say that Dr Aipia wasted his fishing license as the trip have to be cut short because the crews were traumatised was totally misleading. Dr Aipia was actually fishing without a License, and this is illegal according to the Fisheries Management Act 2015. Afterwards, MFMR tried to assist Dr Aipia to get a license before he can venture into his business, by providing advice to improve his facilities on board to meet the sanitation requirements before he can be issued a License. However, for some unknown reasons, Dr Aipia never came back to MFMR to persuade this further.
• Another allegation was with the involvement of Government Officials as deemed corrupt. MFMR wishes to clarify that there is a process in place to deal Government Officials with the Ministry of Public Service if suspected of such behaviour. 
  

MFMR appeal to TSI to come to the MFMR and get a balance story on these issues, as these issues emerged when Public Officers trying to implement the Fisheries Laws of this country. The Law is for all the people of this country and for TSI to take side of these issues is also a concern for those Public Officers trying their best to enforce the laws of this country.

The Ministry of Fisheries denied the claim that Dr Aipia was targeted saying this is not true.