KOROR, Palau (Palau Horizon/Marianas Variety): July 10, 2002 - Members of the Association of the Pacific Island Legislatures have endorsed a proposal to designate the Federated States of Micronesia as the host nation for the permanent Secretariat of the Commission for the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific.

This convention was adopted in Hawai'i in Aug. 2000 and it mandates creation of the commission.

The commission will be composed of both coastal states of the western and central Pacific and fishing states that use these waters.

During the second preparatory conference in Madang, Papua New Guinea last February, the coastal states tentatively chose the FSM as host nation for the permanent secretariat of the commission. However, the selection of the host nation for the permanent secretariat is to be discussed and considered further during the upcoming third preparatory conference in the Philippines, Nov. 18 - 22 this year.