By RONALD TOITO’ONA, PacificMedia@WCPFC13
HEADS of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) say there are signs there will be more progress than expected at the 13th Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Fiji.
Briefing the Pacific Media yesterday, the Director General of the FFA James Movick and the Chief Executive Officer of PNA Ludwig Kumoru, said there are positive on some issues.
The 17-nation FFA and 9-member PNA are two powerful fisheries organisations in the Pacific Region.
“………as of this morning, certainly there seemed to be some level of optimism that we will make a small level of progress on some key areas but perhaps not as much as we would have liked,” DG Movick said.
Unlike the mood going into the meeting the two leaders see signs of hope.
“The reaction I have had, has not been so negative or pessimistic but generally people think there is an opportunity to make some progress as we go,” DG Movick added.
“I share the DG’s opinion,” PNA’s Kumoru said.
As part of the new process designed to break the log jam in progress at previous WCPFC sessions, Commission Chair Rhea Moss-Christian encouraged small working groups to thrash out conentioius issues before bringing them to the larger and more unweidly plenary sessions.
Mr Kumoru endorsed the process saying FFA and PNA we all have our positions but it gives them the opportunity to sit with the other partners and discuss what their positions are, although they know some issues are very sensitive.
“…we don’t really expect that we will achieve much but at least we can use this opportunity where we can sit down and really discuss and give our reasons as to why we cannot accept each other’s ideas.
‘It is premature but by tomorrow (today) we should know how the small groups and their negotiations are going, but I think the small group has given us an opportunity.
The latest briefing on the outcomes is expected to be heard when the Commission goes into the fourth day, today.
Meanwhile according to DG Movick, risk management one of the issues that is being taken on forward with a small leap.
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