The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.) has moved to take a tough stand against the breaching of fisheries regulations which prohibits the catching of under-sized fishes.

The Ministry is enforcing fisheries regulations by charging three individuals for selling undersized fish including egg lobsters.

According to a statement issued by M.A.F, the defendant Asenati Suni appeared in the District Court to answer to one count of selling three egg- bearing lobsters at the Savalalo fish market in December 2020 after previously receiving a warning by fisheries officers for the same offence.

A court hearing has been scheduled for 22 February next year to hear the defendant's position disputing the information of the charge and other defendants who were also scheduled to appear but were not present during Tuesday’s court. 

They include Vaililo Saio and Kepi Taliaoa who both faced charges for undersized fishing.  

Ms Fuimaono told the court that the Ministry was notified that Mr Taliaoa had been missing at sea since earlier this year with written confirmation from the Ministry of Police and Prisons, accordingly the Ministry made an application to withdraw the charge.   

In the case of Mr Saio, a warrant was issued for his arrest for failing to show up at the court.

The Assistant Chief Executive Officer (A.C.E.O) of the M.A.F. Fisheries Division, Magele Eteuati Ropeti gave a warning to the public in a statement.

“The penalty for fishing regulation violations carries a fine of up to WST$10,000” Magele said in the statement.

"We are treating these recent cases very seriously because people are becoming complacent in their responsibilities to comply with fishing regulations."

He added that the public must take stronger action in order to deter people from engaging in illegal fishing and promoting destructive fishing practices to ensure that fisheries resources are harvested in a sustainable and equitable manner.

Principal Fisheries Officer Mataia Ueta Faasili said in a statement that enforcement and prosecutions for fisheries violations are matters of priority in their fisheries management strategy, if they are to achieve their objectives of overall food security and sustainability. 

 “We want to make sure that we at least give each fish a chance to reproduce before it’s taken out of the population," Mataia said in the statement.

Mataia explained that by law, people are only allowed to harvest and fish certain sizes for certain species that are less than 20cm.  

"If we continue to take fish that is not yet matured, we don’t expect much fish in the next 5 or 10 years," Mataia said.

 “Our fisheries management arrangements are made up of 3 components which includes; science, policy and legislation.  If the regulation component is not enforced effectively, it weakens the impact of the entire fisheries management process designed to achieve food security and sustainability.”