By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet Minister yesterday said a new Fisheries Act has been drafted, and is now being prepared for submission to the Cabinet. Renward Wells, minister of agriculture and fisheries, made the revelation while addressing Parliament yesterday. “A new Fisheries Act has been drafted and is being prepared for submission to the Cabinet for parliamentary debate and, hopefully, passage,” he said.

“The draft has incorporated the majority of the new international norms relating to fisheries, such as eco-sensitive norms relating to fisheries management, the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and, in particular, SDG 314 and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Port State Measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

Mr Wells said the Department of Marine Resources has recently taken possession of a new Fisheries Management Information System, which was funded and designed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“Information obtained in the FISMIS will be used in the formulation of fisheries management plans, and the drafting of appropriate legislation governing the various fisheries comprising the fisheries sector. The NGO community has played a vital role in regard to assisting the Government relative to educating the general public concerning fisheries matters,” Mr Wells said.

He added that there were concerns relating to subsidies to the fisheries sector in light of Word Trade Organisation (WTO) provisions. “Subsidies are required to promote the development of the sector, but the provisions of the WTO negate against the issuance of such by governments because it is viewed as an unfair trade advantage. We would have to look at this issue more closely,” said Mr Wells.

He added that efforts are being made to obtain an eco-label for crawfish exports. “The obtaining of an eco-label would result in exporters receiving the maximum benefits from the export of the resource,” Mr Wells said.