Page 38 - IB MAR 2019

Indepth

b: Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Organisation (SPTO) and Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO)) has
(WCPFC) gone from strength to strength. In the past two years in particular the
professional and personal relationship between the CEOs of the CROP
JM: The principal initiative to establish the WCPFC came from the organisations has been at the closest and most dynamic that I have
FFA member countries. No doubt most of the fisheries management seen. It was with genuine personal regret that I left this august group.
measures and tools established by the Commission do benefit FFA By the time I commenced at FFA in 2010 the relationship between
members. While tuna conservation is better in the WCPFC than FFA and SPC, especially its Oceans Fishery Program and its GEM
under any other tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisation maritime boundary team, was very close and cooperative. This
(t-RFMO), that sustainability cannot be taken for granted given fre- relationship is formalised in an MOU and operationalised each year
quent aberrant self-interest and unprincipled behaviour on the part in an annual colloquium.
of a number of distant water fishing nations. The adoption of the “Blue Pacific” identity driver at the 2017 Pacific
The capability to secure measures that appropriately take into Islands Leaders Forum provided a favourable context to re-set the
account PIC management frameworks, especially zone rights based FFA-PIFS relationship and the support of PIF Secretary General Dame
management and coastal states sovereignty and sovereign rights, as Meg Taylor was very much appreciated in the Leaders’ decision to
well as genuinely recognise special and principled recognition of the include fisheries as a standing item on the annual Forum agenda.
rights and needs of SIDS and territories, are even more challenging That close working relationship continued until my departure from
now. The decision-making rule of consensus or two chamber voting, FFA and I am optimistic that it will continue to grow to the benefit
simply engenders falling back on lowest common denominator mea- of the region.
sures rather than best practice, and fosters gridlock and blackmail. FFA’s relationship with SPREP has been less defined than with SPC,
PIFS and USP. The possibility for divergence and conflict over resource
c. CROPS, namely the SPC, PIFS and SPREP, remember- management principles between FFA managers and stakeholders
ing one time FFA and SPC had some issues over work
jurisdictions and mandates and those of SPREP and associated groups should be recognised and
actively addressed. For example, efforts by various parties seeking to
JM: Over the past 6 years the relationship between FFA and its CROP list specific peak migratory species under CITES etc can undermine
partners (namely the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat sound multi-species management of oceanic fisheries resources in
for the Pacific Commission, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional En- the WCPFC.
vironmental Program (SPREP) and University of the South Pacific,
but also the Pacific Power Association (PPA), South Pacific Tourism IB: We never got to ask you of your thoughts about
your successor. Dr Manu Tupou Roosen. She worked
under you as your Legal Counsel, what was your reac-
tion when she got the nod to be the next DG?
TRADE MARK CAUTIONARY NOTICE IN COOK ISLANDS
JM: Dr Manu Tupou Roosen secured her appointment from amongst a
Notice is hereby given that ASICS Corporation, a Japanese field of highly competent candidates and I have no doubt that she will
corporation of 1-1 Minatojima-Nakamachi 7-chome, Chuo-ku, be an excellent Director General of FFA. Her legal expertise, her intel-
Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, is the sole proprietor in Cook ligence, her passion for the work of the Agency and her personable
Islands and elsewhere of the following trade mark: manner and networks will all stand her in good stead. I was pleased
that with her appointment the on-going work of the Agency will be
ASICS Tiger least disrupted in the short to medium term while her familiarity and
expertise will better enable her to craft new and creative ways to
move the Agency and region ahead as her tenure proceeds. I wish
Used in respect of:-
her all the very best in her leadership of FFA and have full confidence
that she will do an exemplary job.
Class: 25 Clothing, footwear, headgear
IB: What’s next for Mr James Movick, any interest in
The said proprietor claims all rights in respect of the above trade entering national politics for example?
mark and will take all necessary legal steps against any person JM: Whatever happens in my future I am fairly certain that it will not
or company infringing their said rights.
include being a political candidate. My role has always been more
about running programs and providing technical support and advice,
and I prefer it that way.
DAVIES COLLISON CAVE PTY LTD Having blood ties to Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia and colonial
Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys Europeans, the regional perspective is also quite natural for me. I am
1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000, Australia therefore grateful to the PIC representatives and the Government of
Telephone: +61 3 9254 2777 • Facsimile: +61 3 9254 2770 Australia for asking me to Chair the Reference Group for establish-
E-mail: egodfrey@davies.com.au ment of the Pacific Fusion Centre which seeks to better coordinate
DCC Ref: 35261027/EKG and integrate regional analysis and information sharing for broader
regional security in support of the Boe Declaration.

38 Islands Business, March 2019