The United States will release US$60 million to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) under a 10-year economic assistance agreement linked to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced after meeting with Pacific ambassadors and representatives.
Landau met delegations from Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu to discuss the funding and ways to deepen U.S. private-sector engagement in the region. The South Pacific Tuna Treaty permits U.S.-flagged vessels to operate in the exclusive economic zones of 16 Pacific island countries; the distant-water tuna fleet, based largely in California, generates hundreds of millions of dollars in gross revenue annually for the U.S. economy.
Why this matters
– The FFA coordinates regional fisheries management, surveillance and cooperation among Pacific nations. Financial support helps strengthen those capacities and the institutions that manage shared tuna stocks.
– For Pacific islands, treaty arrangements and associated assistance contribute to food security, government revenues and local livelihoods tied to tuna fisheries.
– For the United States, assistance is tied to preserving access for its fishing fleet while reinforcing diplomatic and commercial ties across the Pacific.
Context and implications
– The payment is a tranche of longer-term, treaty-related assistance intended to balance U.S. fishing access with investment in regional fisheries governance and sustainability.
– Discussions with Pacific delegations also focused on encouraging greater private-sector involvement, which U.S. officials framed as a way to promote shared prosperity and economic opportunity.
Suggested additions for publication
– Headline suggestion: US Releases $60M to Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency Under Tuna Treaty
– Pull-quote: “This investment underscores U.S. commitment to a free, open and prosperous Pacific,” — paraphrase attributable to Deputy Secretary Landau
– Image idea: Regional fisheries meeting or a purse-seine tuna vessel operating in Pacific waters (caption noting the treaty link)
– Tags: South Pacific Tuna Treaty, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, fisheries, U.S. diplomacy, tuna industry, Pacific region
Brief summary
The U.S. has released US$60 million to the FFA as part of a decade-long assistance package tied to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty; the move was announced by Deputy Secretary Landau after meetings with Pacific island representatives to discuss fisheries cooperation and private-sector engagement.
Hopeful outlook
This funding can help bolster regional fisheries governance, support sustainable tuna management that underpins local economies, and expand opportunities for private investment that benefit Pacific communities and U.S. industry alike.
Additional comment / logical explanation
The payment aligns financial assistance with continued U.S. access to Pacific tuna resources: by investing in the FFA and regional management, the U.S. helps build the institutional capacity needed to manage stocks sustainably, which protects both Pacific livelihoods and long-term access for its distant-water fleet.
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