11 February 2011

Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Phil Heatley today welcomed 18 Pacific trainees to New Zealand to take part in a programme aimed at giving them the skills and knowledge to develop sustainable and profitable fishing operations in the Pacific.

"New Zealand is providing $500,000 in funding for the Pacific Fisheries Extension Officer course, which forms part of a wider package of support for Pacific fisheries.

"The course will give trainees from Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tokelau and Niue the opportunity to study at the Nelson School of Marine Studies," says Mr McCully.

The Pacific Fisheries Extension Officer course is the first of several vocational training opportunities New Zealand is looking to support in response to requests form the head of Pacific fisheries.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley says: "Greater training opportunities for Pacific people working in fisheries will lead to increased employment opportunities and also help Pacific countries generate greater economic benefits from sustainably-managed fisheries.

"New Zealand is committed to greater cooperation on fisheries development, and we share a common desire for fisheries to be an important driver of sustainable economic growth in the Pacific," says Mr Heatley.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Fisheries have also recently entered into an agreement which will facilitate the transfer of skills and expertise between New Zealand and Pacific countries while also providing technical expertise in monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement," says Mr McCully.

The Pacific Fisheries Extension Officer course runs for 18 weeks from 14 February, 2011.

ENDS

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