• French Polynesia holds many trump-cards which should make it possible to develop fishing activities in this region. This Territory has the advantage of comprising an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) approximately 5 million square kilometers in size, as well as having access to international fishing waters which are densely populated by tuna fish (around the 40th Southern parallel off the Marquesas Islands).

In the framework of its recently acquired status (the Territory was granted internal autonomy in 1996), French Polynesia is responsible for regulating, exploring and  managing the resources of its EEZ.  

• Fishing was one of the items selected in the 1994 Framework Law as a means of promoting the Territory's internal resources, reducing its dependence on other countries and developing employment.  In the 1994-1998 Development Contract, these efforts were further pursued by launching various operations, such as the creation and extension of harbour and fish marketing facilities, research programmes (studies on the fishing waters and the techniques used), and vocational training programmes.
  
  

• The activities of foreign fishing fleets within the Polynesian EEZ are subject to annual negotiations, in which the conditions, including the payment of fishing rights (which go to a fishing development fund), are set. Since the withdrawal of Japan in 1992, Southern Korea is the only remaining country still applying for the right to fish these waters. The matter country's fishing quotas have been decreasing steadily, however, from 4 600 tonnes in 1990 to 2 250 tonnes in 1996. The cost of the fishing rights has increased almost two-fold, reaching  107 millions Fr. CFP in 1996.
  The fishing grounds are mainly situated off the  Marquesas and Tuamotu islands. 
  
  

• The Polynesian fishing fleet, on the contrary, has been increasing steadily in size since 1990. The number of fishing boats in actual use has increased by 35%, and numbered 304 in 1996. The proceeds of deep-sea fishing have increased 2.3 fold, amounting nowadays to 5 000 tonnes.
  This pattern of development has been accompanied by a transformation of the fishing fleet, as well as by changes in the techniques used and the waters fished. Tuna longliners made their first appearance in 1990. Their self-sufficiency and fishing capacity (they are now equipped with means of conservation make them suitable for  longer fishing trips on the high seas. In 1996, the tuna longliners actually in use numbered 39, as compared with only 2 in 1990. This fleet of longliners accounts for 65% of the entire deep-sea catches, as compared with only 6% in 1990.

In addition to the deep-sea fishing carried out by these longliners on the open seas, coastal fishing is also practised by the bonito punting boats and the "poti marara", which are the traditional French Polynesian fishing-boats.