Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-III§65 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Measures |
Export licences |
Other |
Relevant information
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Export restrictions apply to wildlife specimens, certain medicaments, firearms and ammunition, certain marine products, war relics, and items of cultural significance. These items may only be exported with a licence granted by the Comptroller of Customs and Excise or the relevant government authority. Gold exports must be authorized by the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, while exports of marine products must be authorized by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. A licence is also required for all products subject to export taxes (Section 3.2.2). Timber exports still require "specific authority" from the Central Bank.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§2 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
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The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) is responsible for agriculture- and livestock-related policy. The objectives of the Government's policy for the agricultural sector are to: address the basic needs of people in villages and rural areas, and ensure real improvement in their standard of living; work towards food security and poverty alleviation; generate jobs and increased employment opportunities for the population and achieve high economic growth, wealth and social wellbeing; and, ensure the sustainable utilization and conservation of natural resources, protection of the environment and successfully combating the adverse effects of climate change.
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Keywords
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Natural resources
Conservation
Climate
Environment
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§3 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Agriculture, Other |
Relevant information
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Key pieces of legislation for the agricultural sector include: the Livestock Development Authority Act 1977, covering all aspects of livestock production and the commercial development or related products; the Diseases of Animals Act (Cap 37) as amended in 1972 and the Agricultural Quarantine Act 1982, to control the importation and movement of plants, animals and related products; the Pure Food Act 1996, to control safe use and trade of food products; the Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998, to ensure compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and the Biosecurity Act 2013.
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Keywords
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Endangered
Bio
Wildlife
MEAs
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§5 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Agriculture |
Relevant information
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The National Agriculture and Livestock Sector Policy 2009-2014 was the main policy framework covering the review period. The policy was expected to contribute to, inter alia, (...) sustainable management of natural resources and the environment; (...)
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Keywords
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Environment
Natural resources
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§7 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
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Agriculture |
Relevant information
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During the review period, the enactment of the Biosecurity Act 2013 was one of the major developments in the legal framework. The law aims at preventing the entry and spread of animal and plant pests and diseases into and throughout Solomon Islands, and controlling their establishment and spread. It also provides the legal framework for compliance with some international and regional obligations, including requirements under the International Plant Protection Convention, the Pacific Plant Protection Organisation, and the World Organisation for Animal Health. The legislation establishes Biosecurity Solomon Islands (BSI) as the agency in charge of, inter alia, maintaining quarantine services; negotiating market access requirements for agricultural exports; and facilitating trade while ensuring compliance with international standards.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§8 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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Solomon Islands is a beneficiary of the Australia- and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Programme (PHAMA) , a programme designed to help exporters in Pacific Island countries meet the standards and requirements of destination markets. Under the programme, assistance was provided to, inter alia, help the tuna processing industry maintain compliance with EU food safety requirements; help the forest industry develop guidelines to ensure that sawn timber is sourced and exported legally; and establish a cocoa quality testing facility at the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA).
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§16 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is responsible for regulating the fisheries sector. The Fisheries Management Act 2015 (FMA), together with its related regulations, is the main legal framework for the sector. It makes provisions for the conservation, management, development and sustainable use of fisheries and marine resources in Solomon Islands, and the monitoring and control of fishing vessels. The legislation does not apply to vessels used by indigenous Solomon Islanders for customary fishing.
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Keywords
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Fish
Natural resources
Conservation
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§17 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
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Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Under the FMA (Fisheries Management Act 2015), the export or import of fish and fish products is subject to licensing. The Act provides for the establishment of: a Fisheries Licensing Committee, tasked with making recommendations on the grant, renewal, suspension and revocation of licences; a Fisheries Appeals Committee, to hear appeals from decisions on licensing; and, a Fisheries Advisory Council, to make recommendations on matters relating to fisheries conservation, management, development and sustainable use. The legislation provides for the establishment of a fisheries Management and Development Fund to receive funds from foreign fishing vessel access fees. The fund is not operational. A health certificate is required for all export shipments, for quality control purposes. There is a 10% royalty tax on fish caught within the EEZ. An exemption from the royalty tax applies to processed fish, with a view to encouraging local transformation.
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Keywords
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Fish
Conservation
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§18 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
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Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Solomon Islands is a member of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) , which controls about 50% of the global supply of skipjack tuna, the most commonly canned tuna. Since 2010, members of the PNA have been using a Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) to manage their tuna stock. [11] Its purpose is to constrain and reduce catches of target tuna species, and increase the rate of return from fishing activities through access fees paid by distant water fishing nations (DWFNs). Under the VDS, members agree on a limited number of fishing days for the year based on the status of tuna stocks. Days are allocated to countries which then sell them to the highest bidder. When apportioning fishing days, provisions are made for regional fishing arrangements to which the PNA members are a party. Since 2015, the minimum benchmark fee for foreign fishing vessels is US$8,000 per fishing day (up from US$6,000 in 2014).
[11] The Vessel Day Scheme replaces the purse seine vessel number limit of 205 set under the Palau Arrangement for the Management of the Western Pacific Purse Seine Fishery (Palau Arrangement).
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/349 |
S-IV§19 |
Solomon Islands |
2016 |
Sectors |
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Fisheries |
Relevant information
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PNA (Parties to the Nauru Agreement) members also use a number of measures to manage their stock; protect the marine ecosystem; and, combat illegal, undeclared and unreported (IUU) fishing. These include: closures of high seas pockets; seasonal bans on the use of fish aggregating devices (FAD); satellite tracking of boats; the presence of an observer on all purse seiners. Since January 2016, PNA members launched an initiative to levy a fee of US$1,000 per fishing day on each ship that sets FADs.
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