LEGAL
PIP closed areas
- These Closed areas are to be read in conjunction with the corresponding legislations provided in the PIP National Laws central holding on this same FFA website.
- The amended Closed area of Kiribati which is marked in ‘italics’ was notified to the U.S. Government, including all the PIPs, on 11 July 2018 and is provided for advance notice pending the entry into force on Saturday 8 September 2018.
PIP national fisheries laws
These are the applicable national laws of the Pacific Island Parties (PIPs) for the purpose of the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of the Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America (commonly known as the “Treaty on Fisheries”), as amended in December 2016.
Note:
- Australia’s waters are currently closed for fishing by the U.S. fleet operating under the Treaty.
- The laws marked as ‘pending’ are already effective but they are not posted yet pending receipt of the texts.
- The law marked in ‘italics’ in Nauru folder was notified to the U.S. Government, including all the PIPs, on 25 May 2018 and is provided for advance notice pending the entry into force for the purpose of the Treaty on Tuesday 24 July 2018.
- The laws marked in ‘italics’ in Kiribati folder were notified to the U.S. Government, including all the PIPs, on 11 July 2018 and are provided for advance notice pending the entry into force for the purpose of the Treaty on Saturday 8 September 2018.
Australia
PIP closed areas:
All waters within the seaward boundary of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) west of a line connecting the point of intersection of the outer limit of the AFZ by the parallel of latitude 25°30′ south with the point of intersection of the meridian of longitude 151° East by the outer limit of the AFZ and all waters south of the parallel of latitude 25° 30′ South.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Cook Islands
PIP closed areas:
24 nautical miles measured from the baseline around the islands of the Cook Islands; 48 nautical miles measured from the baseline around the island of Rarotonga; and 50 nautical miles measured seaward from the baseline of all the islands of the Cook Islands, as shown in Schedule 1 of the Marae Moana Act 2017.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Federated State of Micronesia
PIP closed areas:
Three nautical mile territorial sea and nine nautical mile exclusive fishery zone and on all named banks and reefs as depicted on the following charts:
- DMAHTC NO 81019 (2nd. ed., Mar. 1945; revised 7/17/72. Corrected through NM 3/78 of June 21, 1978).
- DMAHTC NO 81023 (3rd. ed., Aug. 7, 1976).
- DMAHTC NO 81002 (4th. ed., Jan. 26, 1980; corrected through NM 4/80).
The twelve miles’ area seaward of the territorial sea not to extend beyond twenty-four nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Fiji
PIP closed areas:
Internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial seas of Fiji and Rotuma and its Dependencies.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Kiribati
PIP closed areas:
Within archipelagic waters as established in accordance with the Marine Zones (Declaration) Act 1911; within 12 nautical miles drawn from the baselines from which the territorial seas is measured; within 2 nautical miles of any anchored fish aggregating device for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical coordinates; Phoenix Islands Protected Area; and the exclusive areas the breadth of 21 nautical miles (nm) measured from the outer limits of the contiguous zone as specified under the Contiguous Zone Outer Limits Regulations 2014, that is from 24 nm to 45 nm of the Gilbert Group Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Line Group EEZ, as shown in the Schedules of the Regulations.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Marshall Islands
PIP closed areas:
12 nautical mile territorial sea and area within two nautical miles of any anchored fish aggregating device for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical coordinate; 50 nautical miles from the base lines of Kwajalein and Majuro.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Nauru
PIP closed areas:
The territorial waters as defined by Nauru Interpretation Act, 1971, Section 2.
PIP national fisheries laws:
New Zealand
PIP closed areas:
Territorial waters; waters within 6 nautical miles of outer boundary of territorial waters; all waters to west of New Zealand main islands and south of 39° South latitude; all waters to east of New Zealand main islands south of 40° South latitude; and in respect of Tokelau: areas within 25 nautical miles of all island and reef baselines.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Niue
PIP closed areas:
Territorial sea and within 3 nautical miles of Beveridge Reef, Antiope Reef and Haran Reef as depicted by appropriate symbols on NZ 225F (chart showing the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of Niue pursuant to the Niue Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act of 1978).
PIP national fisheries laws:
Palau
PIP closed areas:
Within 12 nautical miles of all island baselines in the Palau Islands; the area –
- commencing at the north-easternmost intersection of the outer limit of the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Palau by the arc of a circle having a radius of 50 nautical miles and its centre at Latitude 07°16’34” North, Longitude 134°28’25” East, being at about the centre of the reef entrance to Malakal Pass;
- running thence generally south-easterly, southerly, south-westerly, westerly, north-westerly, northerly and north-easterly along that arc to its intersection by the outer limit of the 12 nautical mile territorial sea; and
- thence generally northerly, north-easterly, easterly, south-easterly and southerly along that outer limit to the point of commencement.
Note: Where for the purpose of this paragraph it is necessary to determine the position on the surface of the Earth of a point, line or area it shall be determined by reference to the World Geodetic System 1984, that is to say, by reference to a spheroid having its centre at the centre of the Earth and a major (equatorial) radius of 6,378,137 metres and a flattening of 1/298.2572.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Papua New Guinea
PIP closed areas:
At all times, all territorial seas, archipelagic and internal waters.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Samoa
PIP closed areas:
Territorial sea; reefs, banks, sea-mounts and within 2 nautical miles of any anchored fish aggregating device within the EEZ for which notification of its location shall be given by geographical coordinates.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Solomon Islands
PIP closed areas:
At all times, all internal waters, territorial seas, and archipelagic waters; and such additional waters around the main group archipelago, as defined under the Delimitation of Marine Waters, not exceeding sixty (60) nautical miles, as may be designated from time to time by the Government of Solomon Islands and notified to the United States and the Administrator.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Tonga
PIP closed areas:
All waters with depths of not more than 1,000 metres, within the area bounded by the fifteenth and twenty third and one half degrees of south latitudes and the one hundred and seventy third and the one hundred and seventy seventh degrees of west longitudes; also within a radius of twelve nautical miles from the islands of Teleki Tonga and Teleki Tokelau.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Tuvalu
PIP closed areas:
At all times, all internal waters, territorial seas, and archipelagic waters; and such additional waters within fifteen nautical miles of all named banks, i.e. Macau, Kosciusko, Rose, Bayonnaise and Hera, in Tuvalu EEZ, as depicted on the chart entitled “Tuvalu Fishery Limits” prepared by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Department, Taunton, January 11, 1981.
PIP national fisheries laws:
Vanuatu
PIP closed areas:
Archipelagic waters and the territorial sea, and internal waters. Only the Closed Areas, as described above, of Pacific Island States which are parties to this Treaty shall be applicable under the terms of this Treaty.
PIP national fisheries laws:
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