Tonga National Fisheries Policy 2018.

The National Fisheries Policy lays down strategies to maximize the sustainable contribution of the fisheries sector to food security and economic growth. This policy overviews the current legal and frameworks and sets out proposed policies to be addressed. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries’ vision is to ensure economically, socially and environmentally sustainable fisheries that contribute to better living standards for all Tongans.
The living standards for Tongans will be improved by encouraging everyone to regularly eat fresh fish and promoting the consumption of traditional healthy local vegetables and fresh fish. The policy states that all Tongans have a right to catch and collect fish for their families, and underlines that fishing activities shall be in accordance with the laws, regulations, and local rules that have been developed to ensure sustainability. The access to affordable fresh fish will be enabled for all Tongans. To this end, all foreign licensed tuna vessels will be required to land all their catches into Tonga and all non-target catch of these vessels will be retained for sale onto the local market at an agreed rate. All fin fish, crustaceans, and shellfish caught for food from coastal fisheries will only be used either for personal consumption or for sale in local markets, with the aim of ensuring consistent supplies of fresh fish to our communities. The community-based Special Management Area (SMA) program will be implemented at an increasing rate, to review fishery management and development plans, to have an increased focus on the science necessary to support fishery management decisions, and to strive to implement an effective compliance program that creates a deterrent to illegal fishing. The level of delegated authority over SMA decision making to communities will be increased as a means of facilitating the approval procedures for minor changes to SMA management arrangements and increasing stakeholder empowerment. The SMA establishment process will be improved, and the current SMA monitoring will be modified to have site-specific and tailored monitoring systems for each community. The Ministry of Fisheries will gain a greater understanding of the effects of SMAs on the food supply and livelihoods of landlocked communities, and develop options for providing a mechanism for landlocked communities to access adjacent coastal community fisheries without impacting sustainability.
Existing commercial fishery management plans will be reviewed over the next five years. A common vision will be established with the involvement of fishery participants. Management plan objectives and strategies will be reviewed for each plan, including of methods, areas, species, catch, effort, sustainability indicators, fishing rights, licensing periods, and access fees. All licensed tuna fishing vessels operating in Tonga will be registered and licensed in Tonga, and be home-ported in Tonga. Furthermore, a majority of all vessels will be owned and operated by Tongan nationals. Inshore coastal fisheries management will be strengthened through fishery management arrangements to ensure sustainability and promote the increased availability of affordable fresh fish in a sustainable way. Tonga’s coastal fisheries will be regulated and restricted to control fishing operations within 6 nautical miles of coastal baselines. Coastal commercial fishing may be further defined under the management plan by area, species, or fishing method, or any other category defined by the regulations.
Aquaculture sector will be developed to create new industries, new livelihoods for coastal communities, and to generate foreign investment. Spatial planning for aquaculture will be undertaken, including the dialogue with coastal communities. Local participants will be encouraged to enter aquaculture using credit schemes to assist with establishment and production costs. Specific support will be provided to facilitate land and water lease areas, and work with relevant government agencies on broader infrastructure requirements. Effective biosecurity, disease, infection, and pollution controls will be carried out to protect Tonga’s marine environment, with veterinary and disease and water quality testing services available to the industry. Small scale aquaculture has the potential to create alternative livelihoods for coastal fishermen as fishing is restricted.