Fletcher Tabuteau
Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs
18 June 2019
PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
MEDIA STATEMENT
New Zealand ratifies Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fletcher Tabuteau today announced New Zealand’s ratification of the
Multilateral Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA) at the opening of the sixteenth annual ministerial meeting of the
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee, in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region remains a key priority for New Zealand and
Under-Secretary Tabuteau highlighted that the solutions lie in a collective regional approach.
“The NTSA is a valuable tool in the fight against IUU fishing. I am pleased to announce New Zealand’s ratification of
this Agreement, further supporting efforts to combat IUU fishing in the Pacific through cooperative surveillance
activities and the exchange of fisheries information,” he said.
New Zealand was heavily involved in the development of the NTSA, signing the agreement in 2014.
Following his speech, Under-Secretary Tabuteau presented New Zealand’s instrument of ratification to the NTSA
depositary, Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Director-General Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen and congratulated the FFA on 40 years of
operation.
Dr Tupou-Roosen thanked the Under-Secretary and said, "We [the FFA] welcome the ratification of the Multilateral Niue
Treaty Subsidiary Agreement by New Zealand which brings it to 13 Parties to date.
“This treaty focuses on enhancing cooperative efforts in monitoring, control and surveillance, in order to combat IUU
fishing.
“This ratification further re-affirms New Zealand's commitment to work with FFA members, collectively to eliminate IUU,”
Dr Tupou-Roosen said.
New Zealand will now support Tokelau to proceed with their own accession pathway, so as to ensure the widest extent of
coverage of the NTSA across the Pacific.