The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have announced that they are officially signing on to Palau’s proposal for a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling which will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly later this year. This brings the total number of Pacific Island States supporting the call to four, Palau, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and FSM.
The announcement was made in Amjuro during the Sixth Micronesian Presidents Summit. Palau’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Stuart Beck said “The Majuro Communiqué represents an historic commitment by our region to protect the ocean from creeping destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling that threaten our reefs and livelihoods. These small island nations represent more square miles of ocean per capita than any others in the world and we take seriously our social, economic, and cultural commitment to being trustees of the seas.”