Production line inside the Noro cannery. Photo supplied

PROSPECTS look bright for exports of processed tuna into the European market following the ‘yellow card’ lifted for Solomon Islands by European Commission.

The Commission issued a ‘yellow card’ for Solomon Islands in December 2014 as a caution to crack down on illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing or face a ban on the country’s tuna exports to the EU. The yellow card was lifted yesterday by the European Commission during the Economist’s World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Mr Pavlos Evangelidis said that this is great news for Solomon Islands and for sustainable fishing and gave credit to the Solomon Islands Government for cooperating constructively with the European Union and improving governance in the fisheries sector.

He added fish products are a major component of the Solomon Islands’ trade with EU.

“Today’s [yesterday’s] news also brings great prospects for more fish exports to the EU, particularly if Solomon Islands adhere to the current Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and other Pacific countries. That could unlock global sourcing for fishes processed in-country and potentially make a solid case for more canneries and thousands more jobs.”

Economic Partnership Agreements are trade and development agreements negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) including Solomon Islands.

Evangelidis said the future is bright for the fisheries sector in Solomon Islands as we now look to the implementation of regulation such as the Sustainable Fisheries Act.

The EU’s IUU policy is meant to curb illegal fishing and improve the sustainability of tuna stocks. At the same time, the EU has provided substantial development assistance to the region in the fisheries sector and will certainly continue to do so, notably through partnerships with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and other regional organisations.

Meanwhile the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources John Maneniaru and his delegation met with the EU Commissioner in Bali yesterday and welcomed the lifting of the yellow card.