FISH4ACP

A game-changer for the Marshall Islands onshore tuna industry

Tuna loader can transform tuna shipping, create jobs and stimulate growth

17/10/2024

10 October 2024, Majuro – A mechanized tuna loader could be a game-changer for efforts of the Marshall Islands to bring more value of tuna fishing on shore and strengthen its position as a hub for tuna containerization in the Pacific, boosting the domestic economy and creating local employment.   

For decades, tuna catches passing through the Marshall Islands have been transshipped from purse seiners onto carrier vessels anchored in the lagoon of the capital Majuro.  

In the meantime, Majuro has become one of the world’s leading transshipment ports for tuna, where 191 000 tonnes of skip jack tuna were handled in 2022. Yet only 5 000 tonnes, or about 3 per cent, were landed locally for exports in containers.  

But this is now changing, as the Marshall Islands pushes its way into the tuna value chain.  

“We are aiming to increase dock side offloading to value-add domestic development and increase economic participation through the private sector.” said Glen Joseph, Director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) at a recent meeting of key partners, taking stock of progress in the assembly of a tuna loader that is currently being manufactured.  

“Obviously we must support and invest in the private sector to be able to participate in the various opportunities’, including in the containerization, tuna supply chain and the export from the RMI shores,” he added. 

Part of the solution lies in expanding the volumes of tuna unloaded at dockside into containers. To make this happen, MIMRA has teamed up with the global fish value chain development initiative FISH4ACP and Pacific International Inc. (PII), a local company providing port and marine services to the tuna fishing and processing sector. 

FISH4ACP, an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is helping the Marshall Islands become a hub for tuna containerization in the Pacific. 

In August 2024, FISH4ACP spearheaded the purchase of a tuna loader machine. The initiative itself covers around two-thirds of this investment valued at USD 610 000 with the remainder borne by PII. 

“Tuna loaders streamline the unloading of tuna from fishing vessels into containers,” said Sergio Bolasina, FISH4ACP International Consultant in the Marshall Islands. “This allows vessels to manage their operations more efficiently, reducing docking time, costs and improving the quality of fish sold to canneries.” 

Jerry Kramer, PII’s Chief Executive Officer, agreed: “The mechanized tuna loading equipment is expected to greatly reduce the time it takes to load containers with tuna and will enable more tuna to be packed into each container.” 

Kramer added that PII is aiming to expand its dock in Majuro to include a large cold storage facility to accommodate anticipated larger volumes of tuna tonnage in the future. 

“The joint investment in tuna loader facilities is part of an ambitious strategy to upgrade the Marshallese tuna value chain over the next ten years,” said Sergio Bolasina.  

He added that two studies carried out last year showed the potential of converting the Marshall Islands into a Pacific hub for tuna containerization, provided that significant investments are made in cold storage and tuna loading.  

Glen Joseph of MIMRA is looking forward to the delivery of the tuna loader, expected in early 2025.  

“This has the potential to contribute to economic growth and job creation in the Marshall Islands, and the sustainable development of our fishing industry,” he said.

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