Project for Rehabilitation of the Domestic Tuna Fishery

OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT

In Solomon Islands, which has rich skipjack and tuna fishing grounds, a joint venture between the government and a Japanese company was established in 1973, developing pole-and-line fishing and fish processing. However, following ethnic conflict in 1998, the Japanese company withdrew in 2000, and in 2001 Soltai Fishing and Processing Ltd. (SFPL) took over the vessels and onshore facilities. The company's vessels, 22 to 25 years old, had deteriorated, the number of operable vessels had fallen, and repair costs were rising. This project built two pole-and-line fishing vessels to replace aging ones, aiming to secure catches while reducing costs and to stabilize the company's operations.