Palau Arrangement for the Management of the Western Pacific Purse Seine Fishery

Parties to this Arrangement will meet once a year for purposes of reviewing tuna stocks and to establish necessary measures for their management and conservation (: Management Meetings). Specific functions of the meetings are set out in article 3. Decisions of the meeting will be reached by consensus and shall be binding upon the Parties. Article 5 concerns priority of allocation of licences by the Parties, whereas article 6 specifies licence allocation criteria. The Director of the Forum Fisheries Agency will assist the Parties in the and coordination of this Arrangement. Article 10 concerns dispute settlement. Article IV makes provision for access requirements for foreign fishing vessels. The Parties shall cooperate in the implementation of harmonized terms and conditions of fisheries access as may be agreed upon from time to time (Art. IV, para. 1). A Party may be allowed, by way of provisions of a Subsidiary Agreement, by another Party to extend its fisheries surveillance and law enforcement activities to the territorial sea and archipelagic waters of that other Party (Art. VI, para. 1). This arrangement will enter into force 14 days following receipt by the depositary of instruments by five signatories including the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Kiribati, and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Thereafter it shall enter into force for any signing or acceding State 30 days after receipt by the Depository of the instrument of ratification or accession