11 operators take-up beche-de-mers harvest and export licences [1]
Friday, May 21, 2010 - 17:16. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
LICENSING for the harvesting and the exporting of Bech-de-mers from Tonga have been issued to eleven operators so far, since the beginning of the Bech-de-mers harvesting season on April 1.
The Head of the Licensing Section at the Fisheries Department Silivenusi Ha'unga confirmed on Tuesday, April 18 that only 11 licenses had been issued, even though the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Forestry has approved a total of 24 applications for licenses for the 2010 Bech-de-mers harvesting season, from April 1 to September 30.
Last year in 2009 a total of 28 licenses were issued for operators to harvest and export bech-de-mers.
Silivenusi said that a license is issued after an operator complied with certain requirements, such as the health inspection of the processing sites, inspection of vessels and the payment of an export license fee of $25,000. The license fee for this year is a dramatic jump from the $2,000 pa'anga fee that was required last year.
Licenses
Silivenusi said that of the 24 licenses approved, eight were for Tongatapu, six for Vava'u, eight for Ha'apai and two for Minerva Reef. The 11 licenses issued to date included four in Tongatapu, three in Ha'apai and four in Vava'u.
A quota of 200 tonnes for exports is set for this year's season.
The export of the bech-de-mers from Tonga is mainly to Asian markets such China and Hong Kong.