Turaga stresses the 1941 Fisheries Act had to be amended to address the inadequacy

This is a 1941 Act. What did the Opposition do during their time? We have fixed this.

Those are the comments of Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga as he supported the Fisheries Management Bill, saying by the first quarter of next year, they will also bring the Inshore Fishing Bill which some of the members of the Opposition have been asking about.

Turaga says the current Bill addresses only the inadequacy.

He says if you look at Clause 4, it gives the power to the appointment of authorised officers.

The Acting AG says it empowers the Minister to appoint authorised officers which enables the creation of a multi-agency enforcement mechanism, allowing fisheries, Police, and Customs Officers to act jointly, strengthening surveillance and rapid response, especially in coastal and border areas.

He says there is also a provision where you can appoint, and where you can exempt villagers from licence.

Turaga says the Minister has that power, and not everyone in the village needs to have a licence.

He says they acknowledge the problem, they are here to fix it, so that the enforcement officers, can actually go and do the work.

Turaga also says for once, both sides of Parliament are talking about the paramount and the safeguarding of iTaukei interests and customary rights.

He says they hear the Opposition, and that is exactly the government's intention here.

He stresses this one is just to address the inadequacy in terms of enforcement as they have been advised by the DPP that they cannot rely on a policy.