US Department of State issues Statement Regarding PIPA
08:32 PM on 30th June 2022
Aelvin Kanthony, RNZ Pacific regional correspondent
Aelvin.Kanthony@rnz.co.nz
The United States’ Department of State has recently issued the following statement to Kiribati in response to the proposed bill by President Maamau to open up PIPA to fishing:
“The forfeiture of this important protected area would be a major setback to the environmentalist efforts of Kiribati and, indeed, the world. Though economic growth is important, and the goods that China offers are very alluring, the abolishment of PIPA would not serve the goals of the nation. Instead, to guarantee increased and sustainable government revenues from fishing licenses and economic growth, the Kiribati government should cease the allocation of times given to shipping vessels by discretion, namely the partiality given to Chinese vessels in the region to the deteriments of our own vessels. Instead, if the government opened up these fishing licenses and its allocation to public auction by the international community, nations like the US would be more than willing to pay for these permits and establish a healthy economic relationship with Kiribati.”
The statement was made in response to the recent bill brought forward by President Maamau to abolish the PIPA. Further, in 2015, President Maamau signed a deal to decrease the vessels and time spent in Kiribati waters by American fleets and increase them for Chinese fleets. This provision is only enactable by a bill passed through parliament as the Minister of Fisheries is unlikely to follow the suggestions. How the government of Kiribati responds to the statement and suggestions provided by the Department of State will have to be observed in the near future.
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