The new Offshore Fisheries Decree expected to be gazetted later this year is slated to address gaps in the current Fisheries Act and Marine Spaces Act.
The decree is expected to be gazetted later this year while two other decrees, the Aquaculture and Inshore decrees are also in the process of being formulated, reports FijiTimes.
Speaking at a SeaWeb Sea series lecture, fisheries officer Alitia Bainivalu said the Fisheries Act had last been reviewed in 1985 and needed to be modernised.
She said aspects of the Act that would be addressed included penalties and management measures in Fiji waters.
"Other gaps in the Fisheries Act & Marine Spaces Act are the West & Central Pacific Commission Fiji which is party to and management measures on the conservation and management of sharks," Ms Bainivalu said.
"The decrees coming into force will be a way forward for the department because a lot of issues that were not addressed then have been incorporated now," said Ms Bainivalu.
