I have written a lot of my work for the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in the Pacific, and in particular in the Marshall Islands. My work there is perhaps one of the highlights in my 20 years a contracted advisor to MFAT directly (or indirectly via FFA and SPC) but the over 15 international organizations and NGOs i worked with so far.
My working relationship has been flawless, the work on long term commitments, they trust me and I trust them… and I like to think our results speak for themselves. And I’m totally stoked that my work there has been extended for 2 more years at the request of my colleagues from MIMRA
And if that wasn't enough they produced this really nice and beautiful website “article” using exclusively my pictures to portray their work in the region, with a focus in Tuvalu.
As I said 1000 times I’m not a photographer nor I pretend to be one, hence I don’t make money from my images. I’m just a fisheries guy than has the opportunity to be close to a world most people don't see… a world that is full of colours, amazing places and unique people to whom fisheries is not a hobby or a political cause… for them fisheries is a way to survive, work, sustain their families, put their kids to school, etc, etc… and I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to modestly share those images
And particularly in the Pacific, where the fishing industry provided 23,000 jobs for Pacific Islanders in 2018. This includes fishing, processing, training, and officials and observers who monitor the sustainability of the fish stocks, and fish make up around 70 % of the protein in Pacific Island diets. People in the Pacific eat around four times as much fish per capita as the global average.
Yet they are in a complex reality, as their expanses of ocean are overseen by very small fisheries administrations, international vessels fishing without rights or permits, or misreporting what they are catching, is a huge challenge. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens the sustainability of their fishing stocks. It also deprives Pacific Island countries of the economic returns that are their right.
A study in 2016 pulled together a ‘best estimate’ for IUU activity in Pacific tuna fisheries of 306,440 tonnes per year. The estimated value of that tuna when it left the vessels was US$616.11 million by 2016 prices. The single biggest activity within this was under-reporting the quantity of fish caught. (This work is just an example of what we are doing to control that)
And NZ is in a very unique position, as they have the expertise and the capacity to support work in the region, yet with only 1 fishing boat (a purse seiner) among over 3000 vessels fishing in the region, you know their intentions are to help only… no suspicion of aid for fish there.
Furthermore, I have yet to work in any country where at the mention that I’m a New Zealander (despite my name and accent), anything else than a smile, or a comment around I have family there, my kids, cousin, myself studied there, I got a scholarship there, and so on.
All this makes NZ a uniquely trusted partner in the region and one that I’m totally proud to work with.
Enjoy the article and if you are in NZ, thanks for paying your taxes… they do help!
Finally: thank you NZ MFAT for your trust and support, is not taken for granted