Concerns over industry continues
Russell Dunham.
By RACHNA LAL
Additional Information: ATUNA.COM
After working for Fiji Fish Marketing Group for 15 years, chief executive Russell Dunham has left the company to join one of the largest tuna supply companies in the world, Tri Marine.
He has been appointed as Tri Marine’s director of Fresh and “Ultra Low Temperature” (ULT) Frozen Tuna Operations for the Central and Western Pacific Region.
Mr Dunham, whilst at Fiji Fish, has been known for experience in fishing, processing and marketing of high value tuna.
He has now moved on to become responsible for Tri Marine’s sourcing and processing operations in Solomon Islands and American Samoa and for procurement of high quality tuna throughout the Pacific.
Mr Dunham was also the secretary of the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association.
Tri Marine chief operating officer, Joe Hamby, said: “There isn’t anyone more professionally-prepared for this challenge other than Russell.
“His tremendous experience, industry knowledge, reputation, stakeholder relationship and drive will accelerate the already rapid growth we are experiencing in this non-canning segment of our tuna business.”
Mr Dunhan said: “What’s exciting for me is not just the boats and the facilities, but the scale of Tri Marine’s business.
“The size of Tri Marine and their credibility complement my own experience and knowledge.
“I’m looking forward to not only growing the business but spending more time with policy-makers to find ways to improve management of the fisheries to embrace economic sustainability and to encourage local unloading and local processing.”
Industry Concerns
Fiji Fish managing director and president of the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association, Grahame Southwick, wished Mr Dunham all the best for his new tuna venture.
He highlighted Mr Dunham’s concerns over the direction the Fijian tuna industry was headed.
“He (Mr Dunham) didn’t see there was much future in the Fiji tuna industry the way things were going,” he said.
“He decided it was time he took a different direction. So he is still within the tuna industry but not in the Fiji tuna industry.”
Mr Southwick confirmed Mr Dunham’s position at the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association has been filled by Radhika Kumar of Solander Fisheries who now becomes the secretary.
The ailing industry
Recently, concerns have been raised about the sustainability of the Fijian albacore tuna industry as a result of overfishing by subsidised foreign fishing vessels.
As a result, the domestic boats’ catch has reduced tremendously over the past four to five years.
Mr Southwick has once again stressed the industry will not survive with the current attitudes.
“I don’t see there is any possibility this industry can come out in the next 15 years,” he said.
“As I predicted in 1995 that there will be no industry left by now – and I am pretty sure there will be no domestic tuna industry by the middle of this year.
“Because the attitude to this industry within Fiji and the region is far too weak and misguided and even if discussions started now, which they need to, it will be in 10 or 15 years that it will be achieved.
“That means the current generation of companies and people are able to survive the next five to six months.”
What needs to be done
Mr Southwick said what needs to be done has not even started.
“For too many years, the administration and the authorities had denied that there was really a problem,” he said.
“Now that they have realised that there is really a problem, we are having difficulties in getting them serious about it.
“There is a serious problem and one of the main problems that we have is the authorities do not see that there is a serious problem.
“It is part of the fact that the harbour is full of boats and the companies are shutting down with people being laid off.
“They are still not doing what is required. If that attitude continues, there will be no remedies in the next five to 10 years.”
Mr Southwick said the first thing that needs to be done is to admit there is a serious problem and stop denying there is a problem.
“We also need to stop trying to fix it with a bandaid. What is required now is a serious surgery – not just a bandaid on your little toe,” he said.