S. Korea to aid Pacific islands to ensure stable tuna catch

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is to offer economic aid to Pacific island
nations to ensure a stable tuna catch, the government said Tuesday.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said measures to build
new harbor facilities, train sailors and set up fish processing plants are being
undertaken for the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) countries.
The PNA, made up of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, accounts for about 80 percent of all tuna
caught by South Korean boats in foreign exclusive economic zones.
"In the past South Korean boats only had to pay commercial fishing fees to catch
tuna, but PNA countries have started to ask for expanded economic assistance,"
Park Chong-guk, the deputy minister for fisheries policy said. He said a new
harbor will be built in the Solomon Islands that could help create new jobs and
build social infrastructure.
The official added that depending on the type of assistance required in the
future the government can examine using its official development assistance (ODA)
fund. South Korea has set aside around US$400 million that can be used to help
developing countries.
Outbound shipment of tuna reached $332 million in 2008 making it the single
largest export item among the country's farm, fisheries and food products. It
also accounted for 42 percent of the 670,000 tons of fish caught in foreign
waters by South Korean boats last year.
Park, meanwhile, said that Seoul is actively pursuing research to breed and raise
tuna so as to sidestep international efforts to limit or ban tuna fishing.
"Efforts are already underway to raise wild tuna in special net enclosures for
commercial consumption," the official said.
Foreign reports indicate that the world's tuna stocks stand at just 5 percent of
levels estimated for 1940, fueling calls by many countries to push for a limit on
commercial fishing.
Reflecting this South Korea's fishing quota has been cut from 38,000 tons in 2008
to 36,000 tons this year.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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