Only govt fees and proposed access fees should be paid in the customary fishing right license and permit process

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has called on relevant ministries to ensure that apart from the regulated government fees and proposed access fees, no other payment of money is involved in the licensing and permit process to fish within Customary Fishing Right Areas.

This is after many concerns were raised to the Prime Minister from ordinary Fijians intending to fish within the Customary Fishing Right Areas for business or trade.

Bainimarama met with the Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau, Permanent Secretary Fisheries Pene Baleinabuli, Permanent Secretary iTaukei Affairs Meleti Bainimarama, Deputy Secretary iTaukei Affairs Saimoni Waibuta, iTaukei Land and Fisheries Commission Chairman Ratu Vananalagi Vesikula, Director Fisheries Mere Lakeba and the Commissioner Central Division Josefo Navuku to discuss the current Fishing Permit and Licensing process.

The Director of Fisheries highlighted the legal powers vested with the Divisional Commissioners as the issuing authority for a fishing permit, granting access into customary fishing rights areas, as stipulated in the Fisheries Act 1941, as opposed to the current practice.

In the meeting, the unlawful practice of goodwill payment to Customary Fishing Right Owners by any fisherman who intends to fish within that area for business or trade was discussed and this practice is silent in the Act.

The Prime Minister highlighted that there is a need to align the current inshore license regime processes to the Fisheries Act.

To streamline the processes, the Prime Minister has called on relevant Ministries to ensure that apart from the regulated government fees and proposed access fees, no other payment is involved in the licensing and permit process.

He also emphasised the importance of re-invigorating business activities through the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and protecting ordinary Fijians who depend on small-scale fishing income.

Bainimarama adds the conditions on the issuance of any fishing license by the Ministry of Fisheries is crucial in strengthening the monitoring and management of coastal marine resources.

The meeting ended with the agreement to the following:

· As stipulated in section 13 (2) of the Fisheries Act, the ‘grant of a permit shall be in the discretion of such Commissioner who shall consult the Fisheries Officer (The Ministry of Fisheries) and the subdivision of the Fijian people whose fishing rights may be affected (represented by the Provincial offices – Ministry of iTaukei Affairs) thereby, before granting the same’. Thus, no individual fisher shall approach CFROs for consent to commercially fish within CFRA, only through the Divisional Commissioner in which such customary fishing rights area is situated.

· A reviewed license fees 4 tier system was proposed by the Ministry of Fisheries whereby access fees derived from the issuance of a Fishing License by the Ministry of Fisheries to be directed to the qoliqoli owners as such; 80% will be directed to the CFRO’s Trust Fund, whilst 20% is administrative fees for Government. Within the 80% Trust Fund, there is a 30% mandatory allocation for Community-based Fisheries Management monitoring of the marine resources through the existing Fish warden system and another 30% mandatory allocation for Community-based Fisheries Development, the remaining 40% of the Trust Fund will be left to the discretion of the CFRO. However Government encourages the establishment of scholarship funds for the members of the CFROs.

· Joint inter-agency consultations are underway to discuss the Trust Fund mechanism. Existing mechanisms include the 1) TLTB lease arrangements 2) Native Fisheries Commission Compensatory mechanism 3) ITAB Roko Tui Provincial office.

A cabinet paper on the regularisation of the issues discussed in the meeting will be tabled in the next Cabinet meeting.