The Political Economy of the Western and Central Pacific Tuna Commission: Why Decision-Making Is Slow and Hard

The management of the Pacific tuna fishery is politically charged with diverse commercial, conservation, and sovereign interests. The fishery’s global importance is considerable; the Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery supplies about 30 per cent of world tuna. Reflecting the significance of this resource, almost 500 delegates, observers, and media gathered at Denarau in Fiji for the 13th Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting, 5–9 December 2016. The WCPFC is the peak international body that brings together different stakeholders to agree on conservation and management measures for the highly migratory fish stocks in the WCPFC Convention Area. This is a vast area that stretches far north to the upper reaches of Japan, and far south to the southern end of New Zealand, but does not include the disputed areas of the South China Sea.AusAI

The 2019 National General Election in Solomon Islands - A Personal Perspective: Navigating a Maze of Challenges

On 3 April this year, the people of Solomon Islands will go to the polls to elect their representatives in the national parliament for the next four years. The term ‘representatives’ is used loosely here as the typical member of parliament (MP) is elected with just over a third of the votes, meaning the majority of the electors did not in fact choose the winning candidate to represent them. This will be the tenth election since 1978 when the country gained full independence from the United Kingdom

State of the Pacific - SlipperySlopes and Rough Rides in Regional Cooperative Endeavours in the Islands

This discussion paper results from a speech prepared for the keynote address at the 2016 State of the Pacific Conference, held at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, 13–15 September. In it Dr Aqorau discusses the state of regional cooperative affairs in the Pacific Islands, particularly with respect to fisheries, through his own observations, but not as he puts it ‘an academic sweep of our complex region. I want it to be rooted in the perceptions and experiences of an Islander!’AusAI

Choosing Our Leaders: Western Electoral Systems versus Traditional Leadership Selection in the Pacific Islands — A Personal Perspective

AusAI

The UN Ocean Conference Regional Preparatory Meeting and Its Implications for Pacific Islands Countries: Some Observations

AusAI

Personal Reflections on Political Economy and Nation-Building in Solomon Islands

This paper is based on a speech delivered by DPA visiting fellow Dr Transform Aqorau on 26 August 2022 at The Australian National University. It is followed by an epilogue by Stewart Firth. The speech unpacks some of the factors that have influenced political developments in Solomon Islands in recent years, the complexities surrounding nation-building and the confluence of interests often at play that can exacerbate public policy formulation.Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad

Indispensable Ocean: Aligning Ocean Health and Human Well-Being

The ocean is a critical part of Earth's life-support system and vital for the well-being of humanity. Once thought to be limitless, the ocean's resources are showing serious signs of deterioration and depletion on a global scale. Adverse changes are accelerating at an unprecedented rate relative to the changes seen over millions of years.This report is the result of a conversation by the Blue Ribbon Panel, a group of diverse leaders in industry, government, conservation, and academia who aim to serve as a collective voice to build sustainable solutions for the ocean

Analysis of the responses of the Pacific Island States to the fisheries provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention

The thesis shows that there are three phases to the responses of the Pacific Island States to tuna management obligations in the LOSC. The first phase, from 1979 to 1989 involved strengthening the organisation of the Pacific Island States to co-ordinate their relationship. The second phase, from 1990 to 1996, was characterised by efforts to improve the regulation of foreign fishing vessels\u27 activities in the region. The third phase, from 1997 onwards will involve reviewing the present tuna management and conservation arrangements to reflect principles of responsible tuna management and conservation. The review should take into account the new international instruments developed by the international community. The overall conclusion the thesis draws are as follows: • That the LOSC gives coastal States the authority to manage and conserve tuna in their EEZ. This authority carries with it the responsibility to ensure that tuna resources are not over-exploited. The obligation to conserve and manage may be implemented individually or it may be exercised co-operatively between the coastal States and also between the coastal States and DWFNs;That the responses of the Pacific Island States in general to the tuna provisions of the LOSC have complied with the LOSC imperatives for the management and conservation of tuna. However, the responses do not go far enough to discharge all the fisheries obligations of the LOSC; and; • That the challenge for future tuna management arrangements is to ensure that co-operative arrangements are made with DWFNs to ensure that tuna is managed throughout its entire range and that conservation obligations are clearly reflected in the responses of the Pacific islands to the challenges arising from the EEZ regime

Solomon Islands economic recovery

No abstract availabl