The Fiji and Tuvalau Ministry of Fisheries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the provision of Observer Services and the sharing of monitoring, control and surveillance data.

The arrangement will see the immediate deployment of Fiji’s observers on Tuvalu’s long-line fishing vessels that are based out of the port of Suva but fish in Tuvalu waters.

Permanent Secretary for Fisheries Inoke Wainiqolo says the observers are trained to specifically collect catch, effort and compliance data during fishing operations.

Wainiqolo adds that observers will extract stomach, muscles, gonads and otolith samples to assist in the diet, sex and growth studies of fish caught from Tuvalu waters.

‘’We are grateful and thankful for your government for agreeing for our observers to be boarding your vessels that are flagged by your government when they’re operating in your EEZ’s and the areas that are designated when they are required to be fishing in’’.

While in port on return from the fishing grounds, Fijian observers will carry out port sampling work to ascertain the length classes of all fish species.

Wainiqolo says Fiji will also ensure the quality of data reporting is maintained at high standards through the provision of pre-trip briefings and post trip debriefings on observers.