Te Vaka Toa Arrangement to Strengthen Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement in eastern-Polynesia

Samoa, Thursday 21st July - Ministers from the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga have signed a new fisheries subsidiary arrangement to the Niue Treaty on Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement named the Te Vaka Toa Arrangement (TVTA).
It’s the latest example of closer fisheries cooperation between the Polynesian countries that have aligned themselves under the sub-regional banner known as Te Vaka Moana. The TVTA concept gained traction under the first Chair of the Te Vaka Moana, Mr Peter Graham from the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources.
This new and cutting edge arrangement significantly strengthens sub-regional efforts to improve the management of fisheries resources, generating greater economic benefits. It also provides a new vehicle that the countries can use to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing - estimated to cost the Pacific up to $400 million in lost revenue annually.
Te Vaka Toa provides a foundation for monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement activities to support effective fisheries management through the sharing of resources, expertise and information. The Arrangement encourages cooperation in the use of ports and the monitoring of fisheries, including in each others’ exclusive economic zones. The Arrangement complements on going efforts to develop a Pacific-wide Niue Treaty subsidiary agreement.
Upon signing the arrangement, the Minister for Marine Resources the Hon. Teina Bishop noted that the “Vaka” is highly symbolic to the people of the Cook Islands and “this Vaka may now come in many forms including our vessel satellite monitoring system or even the helicopter from the new HMSNZ Otago patrol vessel”.
The current Chair of the Te Vaka Moana, Mr Mathew Hooper (New Zealand) noted that all countries have something to contribute. “For example, Cook Islands fisheries officers have recently provided New Zealand with training in high seas boarding and compliance” he said.
Fisheries and Patrol Boat surveillance officials from the Te Vaka Moana countries will meet next month at the Royal New Zealand Airforce Base in Whenuapai with its quadrilateral defence partners (Australia, New Zealand, US and France) to discuss specific arrangements of TVTA.

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