Minister of Fisheries Semisi Fakahau

The Minster of Health has confirmed this to Kaniva News saying Fakahau left Tonga for New Zealand last week for medical tests because the Vaiola hospital’s computerised tomography (CT) scanner stopped working.

Fakahau has joined Viliami Hingano, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, who arrived in Auckland in December for medical treatment.

Hingano flew to New Zealand in December for medical tests after the Vaiola hospital’s computerised tomography (CT) scanner stopped working, the Minister of Health told Kaniva News at the time.

Tonga’s priorities include important commercial species of tuna including albacore, bigeye yellowfin and skipjack.

Fakahau told the Commission the recent drop in catch rates in the albacore fishery in Tonga’s national waters has hampered the local fishing industry, affecting exports and the amount of fish available for local consumption.