Editing Economy of Tuvalu (section)

===Fishing Licenses===
Fishing licences are an important source of revenue. The fishing in the 900,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of water area mainly consists of [[Skipjack Tuna]], [[Yellowfin Tuna]] and [[Bigeye Tuna]]. Payments from [[US government]] made under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT) was about $9&nbsp;million in 1999.<ref name="SPTT"/> In May 2013 representatives from the United States and the Pacific Islands countries agreed to sign interim arrangement documents to extend the Multilateral Fisheries Treaty (which encompasses the South Pacific Tuna Treaty) to confirm access to the fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific for US tuna boats for 18 months.<ref name="PNG100513">{{cite web | work= US Embassy – Papua New Guinea | title= United States and Pacific Islands Strengthen Fisheries Cooperation | date= 10 May 2013 | url= http://portmoresby.usembassy.gov/mr2013_051013.html | access-date= 3 September 2013 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060245/http://portmoresby.usembassy.gov/mr2013_051013.html | archive-date= 21 September 2013 | url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name="RA160513">{{cite web |last=Coutts |first=Geraldine |date=16 May 2013 |title=US signs new tuna agreement with the Pacific |url=http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/us-signs-new-tuna-agreement-with-the-pacific/1131586 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101153815/http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/us-signs-new-tuna-agreement-with-the-pacific/1131586 |archive-date=2014-11-01 |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=Radio Australia}}</ref> In 2015, Tuvalu has refused to sell fishing days to certain nations and fleets that have blocked Tuvaluan initiatives to develop and sustain their own fishery.<ref name="PAC_120615">{{cite web |url=http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=309639 |title=Tuvalu refuses to sell fishing days |date=13 June 2015 |work=The Fijian Times Online (PNA/PACNEWS) |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807133011/http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=309639 |archive-date=7 August 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2016, Dr [[Puakena Boreham]], the Minister of Natural Resources, drew attention to Article 30 of the WCPF Convention, which describes the collective obligation of members to consider the disproportionate burden that management measures might place on small-island developing states.<ref name="PB16">{{cite web| work= Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)| title= TWCPFC13: Don't forget Article 30- Tuvalu reminds Tuna Commission of 'disproportionate burden' for SIDS| date= 5 December 2016| url= http://www.ffa.int/node/1831| access-date= 10 December 2016| archive-date= 20 December 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180944/http://www.ffa.int/node/1831| url-status= dead}}</ref>