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Fishing has always been an important subsistence activity in Tonga, having played an important role for Tonga in traditional food production. However, commercial fishing for local and export markets remained under developed until the early 1980s, when budgetary assistance to the Fisheries Division was strengthened and specific sectoral initiatives were undertaken by the government to exploit pelagic harvests and accelerate private small-scale investment.

4.2.1 Significance of the fisheries sector to Tonga

Fisheries are of special importance to small island states like Tonga. The industry grew steadily throughout the period 1990–2000 to become an important source of foreign exchange earnings. In 1993, fisheries exports become the second largest foreign exchange earner after squash, exceeding vanilla for the first time as shown in Figure 4.2. The decline in foreign exchange earnings from fish in 1997 was partly due to the rapid decline in sea cucumber stocks, such as sandfish (nga‘ito), white teat fish (huhuvalu) and black teat fish (mokohunu). The decline in sea cucumber stocks saw the Government, through the advice of the Ministry of Fisheries, impose a ten year moratorium on its harvest. The moratorium impacted on fish exports, considering that sea cucumber was an important export commodity to the East Asian markets.

Figure 4.2: Tonga-Local Export Commodities: 1990 -2000

Source: Asian Development Bank Database

-5,000 10,000 15,000

1990 1993 1995 1997 2000

Value in US$'000

Squash Fish Vanilla

Foreign exchange earnings from fish declined during the years 2000 and 2001 but then increased in 2002, reaching a record level of more than T$9.4 million (see Figure 4.3). This is the highest level of foreign exchange earnings ever recorded for Tonga from fisheries. The record was due mainly to the rapid expansion of tuna fishery exports, which accounted for more than 82 percent of the total value of the commercial fish catch in 2002. Kava and root crops also increased their share of Tonga‟s local export commodities from 2002–2004, see Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Tonga-Local Export Commodities: 2000-2004

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

Value in T$'000

Squash Fish Vanilla Kava Root Crops

Source: Statistics Department, Foreign Trade Report

4.2.2 Contribution to the Economy

Since the late 1980s, the fisheries sector has become increasingly important in generating foreign exchange earnings for Tonga and also in contributing to Tonga‟s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The fisheries sector‟s share of foreign exchange earnings increased from 9% in 1990 to more than 33% in 1999.

Similarly, the fisheries share of GDP increased from 5% to 13% as shown in Figure 4.4. Much of the growth is the result of a substantial increase in tuna long-lining which was achieved in recent years.

Figure 4.4: Fish contribution

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

% contribution

Fish share of GDP Fish share of Total Export

Fish share of GDP 5.40% 5.80% 8.20% 11.50% 13%

Fish share of Total Export 9% 14.20% 23% 33% 32%

1990 1993 1995 1997 2000

Source: National Reserve Bank of Tonga

4.2.3 Social benefits

Besides making a direct financial contribution to the Tongan economy, the fisheries sector also provides social benefits through employment and nutrition.

During the mid-1990s, there were 2,300 registered fishermen in the country with about 16% of the households in Tonga engaged in some form of commercial fishing (Tonga Government 1995). This number increased to more than 5,000 households (32.6%) at the end of 2000 (Tonga Government 2002). Generally Tonga‟s population suffers from obesity and nutritional problems. These problems have been identified by the Ministry of Health as being associated with a fatty diet of imported animal products. The opportunity to increase the availability of the by-catch from fishing, especially with the expansion of tuna long-lining, means that the market price of fish is expected to decline. Cheaper fish products would be more affordable to consumers and serve also as possible substitutes for imported meat products. If the consumption of fish and other marine products could partially replace consumption of imported meat by-products, this would have a positive impact on Tonga‟s public health.

4.2.4 Fisheries legislation

The basic and most important legislation affecting Tongan fisheries is the Fisheries Act 1989. The Act declares that all territorial seas and internal waters are the property of the Crown. Every Tongan has the right to fish in these waters

and there are no traditional fishing rights that give villages, clans or individuals exclusive rights to fish in certain areas.

4.2.5 Fisheries resources

Three percent of the total area of the Pacific EEZ belongs to Tonga. However, Tongan fishermen take only about 0.3% of the total fish catch in the region. In 2001, the commercial catch of fish was the highest recorded in the history of Tonga. The total value recorded was in excess of T$12 million (see Table 4.1).

This was due mainly to the rapid expansion of tuna exports. Commercial fish exports, in fact, were made up mostly of tuna and bottom-fish.

Table 4.1: Value of Tonga's commercial fish catch by vessel and type of fish:

2001

Characteristics Tuna long line vessels Bottom fish vessels

Domestic fish (T$) 1,025,953 366,906

Fish export (T$) 9,966,444 821,110

Total (T$) 10,992,397 1,188,016

Source: Ministry of Fisheries Statistics and National Reserve Bank of Tonga

4.2.5.1 Tuna resources

Based on productivity and the relative extent of Tonga‟s EEZ, the South Pacific Commission (SPC) estimated that for Tonga an annual landing of up to 4,000Mt 8 was sustainable. As noted in Figure 4.5, there has been a steady increase in the total tuna landing over the past decade. The highest catch was in 2001, with a total of 1,919Mt. The steady increase was due to the increase in the number of fishing fleets (from 16 in 1999 to 26 at the end of 2001). The decline in 2002 was due to the al-Nino effect on global weather that resulted in low catches.

Figure 4.5: Annual tuna landing in Mt

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

in Mt

Alb Y/fins Bigeye Others Total

Source: South Pacific Commission, 2005

4.2.5.2 Tuna Prices

The price of yellow-fin Tuna exported from Tonga to Japan has been increasing since 1997 and levelled off at an average of US$9.30/kg as shown in Figure 4.6.

Figure 4.6: Tonga's Yellow-fin import price: Japan

Tonga's Yellow-fin import price: Japan

There is a much longer history and experience in Tonga of bottom fishery than of tuna long-lining. Bottom fishery is dominated by snapper and grouper catches from the slopes of deep seamounts. In 2001, the catch of snapper and grouper increased nearly 18% over 2000. Currently, there are 20 vessels altogether

licensed for bottom fishery. The characteristics of vessels in bottom fishery fall into two distinct groups. One group is made up of larger vessels owned by major exporting companies. These generally exceed 12 metres in length. In contrast, the other group, made up mostly of smaller bottom fishing vessels, tends to be owned by individuals. Many of the smaller vessels were originally built by the UN Boat Building Project that operated in Tonga from 1983 and constructed nearly 50 boats. Table 4.2 presents average prices received from the export of bottom fish (combined snapper and grouper sales). The information provided in Table 4.2 indicates a strong movement in the value of bottom fish exports from 1997 to 2001.

Table 4.2: Price of bottom fish exports

Year Snapper (%) Average FOB

value (T$/kg)

Average CIF value (T$/kg)

1997 88 7.19 9.99

1998 94 9.21 11.82

1999 94 10.42 13.12

2000 85 11.21 14.55

2001 89 12.66 16.46

4.2.6 Fish Export Market

Tonga‟s main fish export markets are Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

Japan imports fish mainly for sashimi, while Hawaii is mainly a market for sashimi and bottom fish. Australia and New Zealand markets are largely associated with Tonga‟s exports of bottom fish and tuna long-line. The East Asian market is mainly associated with crustaceans and molluscs and American Samoa mainly with tuna for cannery. Figure 4.7 shows the distribution of fish exports from Tonga in relation to these markets.

Since exports of bottom fish from Tonga are relatively small compared to the overall market demand for snapper and groups, exporting companies in Tonga have tended to supply individual seafood markets or restaurant chains overseas rather than sell their exports through auctions or wholesalers channels.

Figure 4.7: Major Markets for Tonga’s Fish export 1990s, export of crustaceans & molluscs became increasingly important, especially to new markets in East Asian such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. However, in 1997, due to the rapid decline in sea cucumber stocks (such as sandfish (nga‘ito), white teat fish (huhuvalu) and black teat fish (mokohunu)), the Government took the advice of the Ministry of Fisheries and imposed a ten year moratorium starting in 1998 (see Figure 4.8).

Figure 4.8: Fish export by sub-sector: 1990 - 1997

Fish Export by Sub-sector:1990 - 1997

Fresh & Frozen fish Live Fish Crustaceans & Mollusc Others

Source: Statistics Department: Foreign Trade Report

4.2.7.1 Export by institutional sector

The export of fish is dominated by the private sector. About 76% of fish exports were from the private sector and the remaining 24% from quasi-government companies (in this case, the Sea Star fishing company).

There are only four major fish and marine exporters in Tonga.

Sea Star fishing Company, established in 1990, in which the Tonga Government is the main shareholder, has three long-line fishing boats that fish for tuna.

„Alatini Fisheries, established in 1990, exports mainly snapper and high quality fish to Hawaii markets.

Maritime Project Tonga Limited, established in 1980, sells bottom fish such a snapper and grouper as raw fish to Japan. They also assist the newly established long-line fishing company, Capricorn, in packing and marketing their fish to the Japanese sashimi market.

Capricorn Fishing Company, the first long-liner to be established, fishes exclusively for the sashimi-grade tuna associated with the Japanese market.