May 23, 2017
Ambassador Jones shifted tuna debate
Former foreign affairs minister Murray McCully says Shane Jones made a major contribution in his three years as New Zealand’s Ambassador for Pacific Development.
The former Labour cabinet minister finishes as a diplomat at the end of the month, and a celebration was held for him at the University of Auckland Fale last night.
Mr McCully says a defeatist attitude about Pacific island states was too common in international agencies, and he wanted to replace that with a narrative that saw positive potential in Pacific people and their assets.
Because Mr Jones had political standing and support ads well as experience in the challenges facing the region through his previous work who the Maori fisheries settlement trust, he was able to engage with political leaders across the Pacific.
A major part of his work was tackling the $3 billion tuna fishery, of which less than 15 percent came back to the owners of the resource, the island states.
Mr McCully says the debate is largely won, with island leaders now in broad agreement as to what needs doing.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com