Fishing Rights

Under the agreement the Cook Islands will receive almost $US7-million for allowing four European purse seiners to fish for skipjack tuna.

Traditional leader William Framhein said they had intended to deliver a message to EU officials at a public meeting Wednesday night to keep out of their seas.

But he says they were told by Deputy Prime Minister Mark Brown that he would not expose the EU representatives to them.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is meeting in Nadi next week with American Samoa and others calling for more fishing days on the high seas for the US fleet.

Restrictions have impacted fish deliveries to the two canneries in American Samoa.

ATA executive director Brian Hallman said the association's main approach would be to ensure that all management proposals are science based.

He said that in the past that had not always been the case and rules should be applied and enforced equally for all fishing fleets.