Palau President Proposes Fishing Ban

April 15, 2008

Release from: ABC News (Australia)

Palau's president, Tommy Remengesau, has proposed a bill which prohibits exporting highly migratory fish from Palau.

It would also ban foreign fishing vessels from Palau's waters.

The president says the bill will put an end to the over-exploitation of Palau's highly-migratory fish populations by creating one of the largest sanctuaries for migratory fish in the Pacific.

The Marianas Variety reports the president says the measure is necessary although it may appear too strong.

He says that the world's fish stocks, especially tuna, are rapidly declining because of large scale fishing operations.

The president concedes the government might lose a significant source of revenue should the bill takes effect in 2012.