"While conservation and sustainability of fisheries resources remain the top priority, the department supports an economically prosperous fishery that can improve its competitiveness, invest in conservation measures and activities, self-adjust to better balance harvesting effort with resource capacity and provide more stable employment particularly within coastal communities," said acting permanent secretary for Fisheries, Sanaila Naqali.
He said Fiji was undergoing reforms for the betterment of its people's sustenance and socioeconomic development, reports the FijiTimes.
"The focus of the changes has been mainly to improve the livelihood of all Fijians to ensure sustaining these established sector development initiatives and with alternative emerging areas such as aquaculture development goals and thus strengthening relevant economic and social activities," Mr Naqali added.
He thanked the director of the Korea Fisheries Association and the Embassy of Korea in working with officials of the Fisheries Department to identify equipment and important resources to aid in improving the department's technical capacity and service delivery to fishing communities in Fiji.
He highlighted some of the milestones provided by Korea to the Fiji Fisheries Department. They include:
- capacity building and hands-on training of fisheries officials;
- KOICA-PKNU international graduate program of fisheries science under the technical co-operation program of Korea; and
- Provisions of ice machines for rural areas.
