8 Aug 2005

Fisheries conference opens in New Caledonia

8:18 am on 8 August 2005

About 100 fisheries scientists from around the world are in New Caledonia for a 10-day meeting to discuss the new management regime of the region's fisheries.

The meeting, which begins today, is the first of the Scientific Commitee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

The conference is being hosted by the New Caledonian government and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Noumea.

Its Oceanic Fisheries Programme Manager John Hampton says the conference is significant.

"Any fisheries management of such a large number of countries needs to be firmly based on the best available scientific information and that is what this meeting is about."