Nassau, The Bahamas, 20 September 2017/ ACP: The 5^th meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of Fisheries and Aquaculture was formally opened today by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Dr. The Hon. Hubert A. Minnis at the Melia Hotel Convention Centre, in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas.

[Protocols]

I join in extending a welcome to Ministers and Heads of Delegation to this our 5^th Meeting on Fisheries & Aquaculture. It is with deep sadness that I make reference to the loss of life and devastating damage to property in the wake of recent and current hurricanes in their destructive paths and convey condolences to the Governments and peoples so affected.

Nassau, The Bahamas, 19 September 2017/ ACP: Senior government officials from 55 fish-exporting countries in the ACP Group wrapped up two full days of deliberations today, devoted to assessing the ACP Strategic Plan of Action for fisheries and aquaculture, and discussing joint approaches to boost these sectors in a sustainable manner.

Brussels, 15 September/ ACP: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires formidable financial means to win the fight against poverty and inequality in the world. With 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to reach, African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are faced with the critical challenge of how to raise enough resources to realise these ambitions.

Op-ed by Mr. Viwanou Gnassounou, ACP Assisant Secretary General for Sustainable Economic Development and Trade

Brussels, 12 September 2017/ ACP: Fish is big business. The latest figures show that more than 165 million tonnes of fish are either captured or harvested in a year, with each person consuming more than 20kg of fish annually, according to the world average.

Apia, Samoa, 8 September 2017/ ACP: A robust surveillance system to monitor activities in Pacific countries’ territorial waters is not only a key security issue, it is an essential sustainable development concern.   

Speaking to leaders and high level representatives of the region, the Secretary General of the ACP Group of States Dr. Patrick Gomes welcomed Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) as a response strategy and a “precondition” to improved ocean governance.

Brussels, 6 September 2017/ ACP: A major gathering of ministers and senior government officials from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands will take place in the Bahamas on 18-21 September. With up to USD 5.3 billion worth of fish exports entering the international market each year from these regions, the meeting seeks to reinforce shared commitments to improve governance and boost development of fisheries and aquaculture resources.

SUMMARY DECISIONS

Pacific ACP (PACP) Leaders and their representatives from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu met on 5 September 2017 in Apia, Samoa. The Meeting was chaired by Honourable Tuilaepa Fatialofa Lupesoliai Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa.

Brussels, 5 September 2017/ ACP: Heads of Pacific ACP governments are moving forward with groundwork on negotiations for a renewed trading, development and political partnership with the European Union, as part of the larger African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States.