Tonga coastal fish population decline Featured
Dr. Tu'ikolongahau Halafihi, CEO of Fisheries
28 March, 2017. Tonga's Ministry of Fisheries says the country's coastal fish population has declined by up to 50 percent over the past decade and remedial action is needed.
The Ministry's CEO Tu'ikolongahau Halafihi said in the past local fishermen could collect fish around the coasts but now they need to go out beyond the reefs and cover longer distances.
Dr Halafihi said it was more costly and more dangerous for fishermen.
He said the government was creating Special Management Areas where community-based conservation measures are put in place and hopes to have the whole country covered within five years.
The government was also upping its outreach efforts in schools to promote sustainable fishing.
"The best thing to do is to educate the people to understand that we have limited resources, that we have limited marine resources in Tonga, compared to the growing population and also increasing demand especially for commercial fisheries," he said.
-RNZI
3 comments
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Statistics can explain: Prices of local fish is quite high due to "supply and demand". Not enough fishermen to bring in fish resulting in "low supply" high prices. (Fishermen claim there is a decline in the fish population due to over-harvesting.
Therefore, people are driven towards cheaper imported poultry and meat.
A recent survey by Tonga International Academy found that Tongan fishermen are not 12-months fishermen. Instead, they take frequent holidays, and return to fishing only when their money runs out. This is the effect of a "subsistence" economy. -
It is very important to understand the impact of climate change on marine species. We might need to adapt or we take the alternstive ... kapaika kiaiii
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Are the Tongans eating more fish or are foreign interests at play?