The Northern Marianas government has sold half of its bigeye tuna quota to the Hawaii Longline Association for US$250,000 dollars a year.
Photo: RNZ / Philippa Tolley
The three year deal, signed by the governor Ralph Torres and the Hawaii longline fishing group, gives them 1,000 tons of bigeye.
The deal does not mean the Hawaii longliners can fish in CNMI waters, but allows them to continue fishing for bigeye tuna when their own limits are exhausted.
The funds were to be deposited into the Western Pacific Fisheries Fund in support of the fisheries development projects identified in the U.S. territory's Marine Conservation Plan.
