The talks hit an impasse because Japan negotiators rejected demands from the Marshall Islands for a greater share of the tuna “pie,” Glen Joseph, who directs the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, said Thursday.
“They want access to a supply of fish for Japan and we say ‘okay,’ but what else can we do?” Joseph said. “We’re singing a new song. We’ve been getting five percent (of the total value of tuna caught in Marshall Islands waters). We want to look at the other 95 percent.”
In negotiations with Japan, the Marshall Islands is pushing for development of its domestic fishing industry as part of the new “Parties to the Nauru Agreement” program of expanding benefits from fishing to its island members. PNA represents eight western Pacific island nations that control fishing zones where a majority of the annual $3 billion worth of tuna is caught.
Despite the break off of negotiations, Japanese purse seine fishing boats are still able to fish in Marshall Island waters under a temporary agreement, Joseph said. It has also not affected an $8 million Japan investment in a new fish market facility in the capital that is expected to open in January.
A Japan official indicated that the Japanese side is waiting for the Marshall Islands to call for another negotiating round, but declined other comment.
Joseph said there was a “fundamental breakdown” in the talks for a new agreement because Japan negotiators did not accept the new Marshall Islands position that is making two major breaks with past agreements.
The Marshall Islands is seeking to go beyond the collection of license fees to get investments by the distant water fishing nation to develop its domestic fisheries operations, such as processing plants, on-shore repair facilities for vessels and others developments that provide employment.
Japan negotiators also balked at the Marshall Islands’ effort to enforce a new licensing system known as the “vessel day scheme” — which licenses “effort” not boats — that is going into effect throughout the Pacific.
In the past, Marshall Islands collected license fees based on an agreed number of Japanese fishing vessels, Joseph said. But the Marshall Islands wants to change the agreement to implement the “vessel day scheme” that island nations have agreed is a more effective management system and more lucrative for the islands than the licensing individual boats.
The talks broke off because the two sides could not find common ground on these demands, Joseph said.
“The Marshall Islands aspires to develop its domestic fisheries industry and this involves going beyond the collection of license fees,” he said. “We are seeking innovative investments through boat owners.”
Joseph said developing the local fishing industry — the investment by a Shanghai company in a tuna processing plant in Majuro, the capital, is one example — adds jobs and other income for the country.
“We’re adding value to their (Japan’s) economy,” Joseph said. “Why can’t we add value to ours? It is more than just collecting license fees.”
While acknowledging that foreign investment is difficult to attract to this remote island group, Joseph believes it can be done.
Joseph said there are issues on both side of the Japan-Marshall Islands fisheries negotiations that have to be worked on. “We both have issues,” he said. “We both need more time.”
He said hopes the talks will resume in early 2011.
