Intense debate in Parliament after Fisheries Amendment Bill tabled to be debated and passed without delay this week

There was intense debate in Parliament when the Minister for Fisheries, Alitia Bainivalu tabled the Fisheries Amendment Bill 2025 to be debated and passed without delay this week.

The Opposition said that it is hypocritical for the government to be fast-tracking Bills under Standing Order 51 when the same people were promising voters before the 2022 general elections that they will not rush Bills through this Standing Order and ensure there is consultation.

Bainivalu says that due to the emerging demands from the coastal and inshore fisheries sector, her Ministry is bringing forward the amendment bill so that they would be able to bridge the lack of management and compliance controls that is currently in the Fisheries Act.

While opposing the motion, Opposition MP Jone Usamate says some of the bills that have come to committee seem rather small, but when looked at in detail, they came up with all sorts of issues.

He says if government wanted to do it this quickly, it should have been given on Monday.

Opposition MP, Faiyaz Koya says he thinks this is a bill that has quite a substantial amount of amendments that need to go into the Fisheries Act, and the use of Standing Order 51 to fast-track it is being objected to by the Opposition because it will require some thought.

Opposition MP, Semi Koroilavesau says it means very well to change an act that was established in 1951, to modernize it and bring it to the present but he is just concerned that the level of policing, jurisdiction, and the action carried out by the fisheries officers to actually put this into context.

He asks what about the fishermen that actually fish within their fishing boundaries.

The ultimate goal of the review was to develop a fit-to-purpose legislation to support growth in the fisheries sector, ensure food security and livelihoods, and encourage resource sustainability that benefits current and future generations.

Opposition MP, Alvick Maharaj told the government side that we should practice what we preach.

Maharaj says this government is doing the exact opposite to what they were saying before elections that they will listen to the general public, and take all Bills to the people for consultation.

While responding to Maharaj, Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga says Standing Order 51 is in the standing order for a specific reason, that is all.

Turaga stresses that it is a policy to address the lacuna in terms of enforcement, highlighting issues in Nairai.

The Acting Attorney General says the current fishing act is outdated, and inadequate for today's enforcement compliance needs.

He asked the Opposition what they have done for the people who own fishing rights, as they have stopped

them from collecting money what they owe to them.

Turaga says this government is going to give it back to them and the delay in passage would undermine ongoing reform timelines.

While responding to the Acting Attorney General, MP Premila Kumar says that his arguments were nothing to do with what their side of the house is trying to talk about.

She says they are only talking about government saying they will not use Standing Order 51.

Lands Minister, Filimoni Vosarogo says there is a not a lot that needs to be changed as they only consist of eight amendments, while Opposition MP Jone Usamate says this is all rather sudden and 24 hours is not enough.

Vosarogo says these amendments need to be introduced because they fix operational hiccups that the Ministry continues to have, and there is an explanation of the urgency.

He says Usamate has harped on about the opportunity for representatives of the people to be consulted and heard and that can happen today.

Bainivalu says to Koya and Usamate that the Inshore Fisheries Management Bill is currently with the Solicitor General's Office and when she tables it next year, it will definitely come to the committee before it is brought back to Parliament.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill 2025 will be debated today.