Press Release Detail

MINISTER FOR FISHERIES AND FORESTRY

Mister Speaker; The Honourable Prime Minister; Deputy Prime Ministers; Fellow Honourable Ministers and Assistant Ministers; Honourable Leader of the Opposition; Honourable Members of Parliament; Ladies and Gentlemen. 
Bula vinaka and a very good morning to you all. 
Mister Speaker Sir, I rise to deliver my response to the 2023-24 National Budget.
The “rebuilding our future together” National Budget announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Honourable Professor Biman Prasad  two weeks ago, champions freedom, unity, inclusivity and progress as it offers hope and the promise of a better tomorrow to the people of Fiji. 
I therefore commend the Honourable Minister, the Permanent Secretary of Finance and their hardworking team for a thoughtfully considered budget. 
Mister Speaker Sir, at the outset I would like to applaud the Coalition Government for its foresight and support to natural resource based sectors. Fiji is resource-rich and the injection of increased budget in these areas is a blessing to bringing back our economy to full recovery. It is sad to note, that this was one of the areas greatly suppressed by the previous administration. 
As custodians of natural resources, the mandate for the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry remains! 
Mister Speaker Sir, as I had mentioned in my maiden speech, I hold a portfolio that is most dear to the people of Fiji. I believe that the Budget has set out our ambition to build on the current efforts and creating something even greater for the next generation. Whilst we prioritise key activities in the new financial year, we will continue to collectively work to maintain a balance between economic gain and conservation.  
Mister Speaker Sir, in the interest of time, I will focus my response to Fisheries and Forestry initiatives that have been newly introduced by the Coalition Government through this budget. 
Mister Speaker Sir, allow me to speak on the Fisheries Budget. 

FISHERIES BUDGET 

The Ministry of Fisheries welcomes the budget of $20.3m, an increase of around 26% from the current fiscal year. With the global efforts of protecting the ocean and its resources, the task at hand is indeed an overwhelming one.

Mister Speaker Sir, the role of sustaining, managing and protecting fisheries in Fiji has tripled due to the increasing effect of climate change as well as the ultimate threat of resources being lost for good due to over-fishing and unsustainable practices.

Mister Speaker Sir, with the increase in budget, the Ministry of Fisheries has indeed being given a boost as this will ensure that its activities and programmes are elevated to assist towards the overall goal of ocean and resource protection for generations to come.

The Ministry achieves this through smart partnerships and close collaborations with all its stakeholders across the fisheries supply chain. This includes subsistence and commercial fisher folks, resource owners, the fishing industry, exporters, academia, and partners in development and research, among others.

Given this setting, the Ministry has commenced the review of the Fiji Fisheries laws to account for new and emerging issues which the current laws are rendered inadequate to address and develop fit-for-purpose legislations to support growth in the fisheries sector. 

Mister Speaker Sir, the review of laws was crucial, however it was just a talk fest in the previous administration. Nothing materialised and the review was not implemented. It is important to note that within the first six months of our being in Government, the review of the law was passed in Cabinet, technical support by the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) sealed and consultation process is well underway. 

Climate change and depleting of natural resources, further underscores the importance of research for our governance.  An allocation of nine hundred and seventy eight thousand ($978,000) will now allow the Ministry to direct its efforts of research through smart partnerships with key stakeholders to strengthen the science on the culture of high valued marine species and the collection of sound scientific data and information on species of interest. We are indeed grateful to have partners in development stepping in to assist the Ministry each step of the way.
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry is taking a targeted approach to facilitate the fishing industry issues to ease the cost of doing business and to combat the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. A budget of $750,000 has been set aside to implement the e-platform system for licensing and permitting, the Marine Stewardship Certification of offshore fishery products and the Electronic Monitoring System.
Mister Speaker Sir, robust activities to support our coastal communities will be rolled out to bring greater prosperity to all Fijians, including resource owners.  Improvement of livelihoods whilst achieving a sustainable blue economy is the key and the Ministry will ensure that it puts all its efforts towards the tasks at hand.
$1.3million is allocated towards Coastal Fisheries Development. Key to this budget item is the introduction of empowerment initiatives for fish-wardens to support the Ministry with the monitoring of fishing activities within customary fishing rights areas. The Ministry will develop a framework for the awarding of fisher –warden allowances to support monitoring control and surveillance.  
Mister Speaker Sir, the Coalition Government is here to turn all the “talk-fest” of the previous administration to actions and results. $0.9million has been allocated for the construction of the Koro Service Centre and Ice Plant to ensure that fishers on the Island and nearby islands are able to access the much needed services.  
Mister Speaker Sir, $0.8million is allocated for the on-going construction of the Multi-Species Hatchery in Ra and this is expected to assist hundreds of aquaculture farmers across the mainland through the introduction of new species for farming as well as the continued supply of fish and shrimp for aquaculture purposes. 
The Ministry will work with communities and the private sector through public private partnerships to focus on mass productions of selected fisheries commodities and diversification into Agriculture and Forestry to sustain operations. An integrated approach is the way to go and the time is now!!
Mister Speaker Sir, we will continue to ensure that quality and excellence are embedded in the processes, service delivery, and people that provide services at the thirty two (32) Fisheries Service Centres across Fiji. 
First and foremost in realising this is to ensure that staff resides in safe and healthy standard quarters. The Ministry welcomes a total of two hundred thousand ($200,000) budget to upgrade quarters. The accounting of this new budget item is an indication that the Coalition Government cares for the welfare of civil servants who put in all their efforts to produce results. 
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry’s efforts to achieving a sustainable blue economy remains steadfast. It will continue to incorporate climate resilience and adaptation efforts through practical and viable adaptation solutions – for the benefit of individual fisheries businesses, the sector, and the communities it serves.

FORESTRY BUDGET  
Mister Speaker Sir, please allow me to deliberate on the forestry budget. 
The Ministry welcomes the $21.3 million budget allocation for Forestry, an increase of 20% from the current year. The increased budget allocation supports new initiatives that will contribute to rebuilding our nation. 
To ensure a solid foundation for forest activities, the Ministry is currently reviewing the 1992 Fiji Forest Act. This was one of the key policy work that was never completed by the previous administration. The Coalition Government is here to complete all this unfinished work and even do better by bringing back key elements that were disintegrated and disjointed previously.  
With input from forest stakeholders and the public, the updated Act will address present deficiencies in guidelines and processes to align with international commitment, best practices and national developments particularly in climate change. 
Furthermore, the reviewed Act will champion all aspects of sustainable forest management, climate change, forest carbon trade as well as recent developments in policy and administration of the forest sector. 
Mister Speaker Sir, in addition to the review of the Fiji Forest Act 1992, the Ministry, in adopting best practices is introducing a New Code of Practice for Wood Processing Facilities (Sawmills and Log Yards). 
The Code will support current forest legislation and policy and will also ensure that the wood resources of Fiji are processed to optimise economic and social benefits in an environmentally responsible manner, consistent with Fiji’s commitment to sustainable forest management. 
With the recent outbreak of termites in the Western division, the New Code is a timely addition to the Forestry law. Under the Code, the Ministry is committed to enhancing efficiency in overall sawmilling and log yard operations to improve production and quality, and to reduce waste. By focusing on timber treatment and quality, we can help to control the infestation of termites and stop the supply of sub-standard timber in the market. 
I commend the Office of the Prime Minister for leading the way to eradicate termites through the Termite Task Force and hope that the Ministry’s efforts will contribute towards a long term solution to eradicating termites in Fiji. 
Mister Speaker Sir, with mahogany reverting to the stewardship of the Ministry of Forestry, this opens opportunities for trade and value adding in the wood processing space. This is a welcomed opportunity for the Ministry with a total budget of $0.5million, to ensure fair and equitable returns to resource owners and their effective inclusion in decision making. 
The Ministry will closely work with relevant authorities for the development of exit strategies and legislative amendments to foster and address issues that have been affecting the industry and resource owners for far too long. Ultimately the review of relevant laws will strengthen the enforcement of sustainable forest management practices and curb illegal forest activities. 
Mister Speaker, in balancing economic activity with conservation, forest restoration remains a key activity for the Ministry of Forestry. With $2.5million allocated to the restoration of degraded forests, the funding will be used to address challenges and to ensure the survival of trees planted.  This will be done through extensive monitoring, undertaking beat up, enhancing quality seed collection, propagation and planting protocols. The previous administration only focused on getting numbers on the scoreboard without EVER considering the survival rate of what’s planted. 
Mister Speaker Sir, my aim is to change the narrative and ensure budget is set aside for monitoring and evaluation and for making ineffective processes effective. 
The Ministry welcomes the two million dollar ($2million) allocation for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) which will be used to support the implementation phases of the Emission Reduction Program in 20 districts of 177 villages. 
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry welcomes the budget of $200,000, an increase of more than 100% allocated for forest subsidy on value adding machines to support forest based companies and resource owners who are often worse off and left behind in the previous administration. This includes support to landowners who have leased their land for mahogany plantations.
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry welcomes the total budget of $1.4m to support the subsidizing of shipping costs for transporting pine logs to mainland for further processing and exports. Changing the economic model for maritime pine and introducing the commercial development aspect after the completion of the housing rehabilitation program was crucial to ensure resource owners realize tangible benefits from matured pine trees within their forests. This change will benefit all those in the supply chain and even more the economy from anticipated increase in forest exports. 
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry will ensure working closely with all relevant stakeholders to bring about sustainable results. Sustainable Planting programs will be introduced to ensure needs of the current and future generations are accounted for. 
Mister Speaker Sir, the Ministry also welcomes the budget of five hundred thousand ($500,000) to reconstruct the Nakavu Bridge which was initially damaged by TC Winston in 2016. The reconstruction of the bridge will provide access to the research lease and for the completion of the prescription diameter harvesting trial in Nakavu. This will also ensure mitigation of associated risks to lives and the environment.  The Nakavu landowners will welcome this development as it will progress their interest as well. 
Similarly to Fisheries, the Forestry Ministry welcomes the budget of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) for the upgrading of offices and quarters. This reaffirms the point I had earlier raised that this Government cares about the safety, health and welfare of civil servants. 

Mister Speaker Sir, in these difficult times if I have learned anything, it is the power of love, compassion and hope. If one person can change the world, it is by being compassionate and giving people love and hope.
If you do these things, the next generation and the generation that follow will live in a far better nation than the one we have today.
To conclude Honourable Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry will escalate, widen and increase our drive to improve service delivery and maximise operational and fiscal efficiency.
I would like to end by stating a Chinese proverb, and I quote “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he will eat forever.
Mister Speaker Sir, I commend and support the 2023-2024 budget as presented to this august House.
Vinaka Vakalevu, Dhanyavaad and Thank You very much.
May God Bless Us All. May God Bless Fiji.