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Fisheries conference ends without resolve to tuna issue
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ended their weeklong conference without tackling a major issue in the Pacific Region. The membership and its nation representatives were unable to find common ground to pass a resolution on the issue of overharvesting big-eye and yellowfin tuna in international waters. Greenpeace Australia oceans campaigner Lagi Toribau says discussion is similar to a "water dance" solution, and any decision on the matter would not come close to addressing the seriousness of the issue.
He added that big fishing nations like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, the United States, Europe and other countries do not want to see any kind of reduction made by the Commission. Toribau says it's time for the people of the Pacific Islands to voice their concerns publicly, explaining, "We need to stand up. We need to unite. We are faced with the most powerful industrial fishing nations and if our government has exhausted all avenues to try and stand up to them, I think it's about time as resource owners that we stand up."
Commission chairman Glenn Hurry says the commission will revisit the resolution during their next session, slated for December in Korea.
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