PNG and Taiwan to co-operate aganist illegal fishing

12:46 pm on 26 June 2015

Taiwan and Papua New Guinea inked a memorandum of understanding on Monday in which the two countries agreed to co-operate in cracking down on illegal fishing.

Taiwan's Fisheries Agency director-general Tsay Tzu-yaw signed the deal with the managing director of PNG's National Fisheries Authority John Kasu at the agency's headquarters in Kaohsiung.

Focus Taiwan News Channel reports Mr Tsay saying PNG has been an important fishing ground for Taiwanese fishing boats for tuna and has attracted Taiwanese investment in fish processing factories.

He said the fishery cooperation deal, the first of its kind between the two countries on fishery management cooperation, is expected to expand their cooperation on efforts to stem illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

In PNG, the National Fisheries Authority said that it has implemented a reformed Fisheries Act this month aimed to address illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and conservation and management measures.