HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 7-10 MARCH 2011: High level delegations from member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) - Australia, Fiji and Kiribati - visited the regional headquarters of the agency last week to tour the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre and to discuss key fisheries issues.
In a formal high-level visit to FFA, Kiribati Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development, the Hon. Peter Taberranang Timeon, accompanied by the Kiribati Permanent Secretary and a policy officer.
Kiribati has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ or national waters) of all the FFA member countries - a massive area of 3,550,000 square kilometres - posing a significant development opportunity and surveillance challenge for the small island developing state.
Monitoring & Surveillance
Report from visits from Australia, Fiji, Kiribati to FFA last week
Training helps Licensing Officers use legal and FFA tools to control fisheries
Region's biggest maritime surveillance operation, hosted by FFA, clamps down on illegal fishing
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 15 NOVEMBER 2010: Operation Kurukuru 2010, a coordinated maritime surveillance operation in which countries cooperate to detect illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, hosted by the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency concluded this week with several successful boardings and apprehensions of suspected illegal fishing vessels.
Operation Island Chief conducts surveillance across PNG,FSM, RMI, Nauru and Kiribati waters
FFA REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, TUESDAY 24 AUGUST 2010: This year's Operation Island Chief, a surveillance operation involving Papua New Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and the United States of America, coordinated by the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, ended yesterday with success in the region's activities to deter illegal fishing.
Over the past 7 days, Pacific patrol boats, US Coast Guard vessels and a US Navy aircraft have surveyed approximately 12,000,000 square kilometers of ocean, sighting numerous vessels and checking their compliance with a range of fisheries regulations.
Approximately 200 people were involved in the surveillance effort and 350 fishing vessels were monitored during the operation, 99 vessels were sighted and 20 boarded.
Surveillance Operation TUI MOANA shows continuing determination by FFA members to deter illegal fishing
FFA REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, MONDAY 8 JUNE 2010: Operation Tui Moana, a surveillance operation involving Cook Islands, Samoa and New Zealand, coordinated by the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, concluded on Monday demonstrating determination by FFA members to deter illegal fishing by conducting regional MCS operations.
Over 10 days, the Cook Island Pacific patrol boat with two NZ fisheries officers, supported by a P3K Orion surveillance aircraft provided by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), conducted surveillance and boarding operations in the EEZ's of Samoa, Cook Islands and the surrounding high seas areas and the pocket adjacent to Cook Islands EEZ.
Pacific Patrol boat President Te Kukupa from Cook Islands, complemented the surveillance by a RNZAF P3C Orion surveillance aircraft provided by NZ to conduct patrols targeting Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing vessels.
NEWS: Tuna data management and women observer support strengthened in Solomon Islands
The First Solomon Islands National Tuna Data Workshop was held in Honiara last week to reflect on the current practices, identify ways to improve collection and management of tuna data and to make sure the country meets its data obligations to the WCPFC
With tuna as the second biggest export earner in the Solomon Islands, data of tuna catch and other fishing related activities within Solomon Islands EEZ must be recorded and managed in proper systems and procedures to inform the Government to make decisions that ensure the long term sustainability of the tuna industry.
Surveillance Operation Rai Balang shows success in deterring illegal fishing
FFA REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, TUESDAY 4 MAY 2010: This year’s Operation Rai Balang, a surveillance operation involving Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the US, coordinated by the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, ended yesterday with success in the region’s activities to deter illegal fishing.
Over the past 10 days, Pacific patrol boats, Coast Guard vessels and aircraft have surveyed approximately 3,000,000 square kilometers of ocean and found no sign of illegal fishing. Approximately 100 people were involved in the surveillance effort from FSM, Palau and the US and 205 fishing vessels were monitored during the operation, 43 were sighted and 6 boarded. One vessel was found to be apparently operating without a valid licence and thus conducting illegal activity in Palau’s EEZ. The vessel has been escorted back to Koror for further investigation.
FFA members meet to discuss tools for illegal fishing
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SATURDAY 27 MARCH 2010: The Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Working Group meeting closes today after five days of discussions about how to respond to illegal fishing.
37 experts from monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries from the 17 member countries and territories of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) have been discussing tools to combat illegal fishing.
Illegal fishing is difficult to estimate - but if just 10% of the skipjack catch of 1.2 million tons is taken by illegal fishing, a possible US$276 million dollars worth of fish is being stolen each year. This is a great loss for Pacific Island economies, government revenues and for the many islanders that rely on fisheries for jobs and food.
Regional MCS Strategy
Click attachment titles below to read the reports prepared as part of development of the Regional MCS Strategy conducted on 2009 and presented at FFC71. The reports are prepared by consultants and do not neccessarily reflect the views of FFA.
Pacific Islands act to stop illegal fishing at WCPFC
PAPEETE, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA, 9 DECEMBER 2009: Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) members were successful in tightening controls on illegal fishing at the 6th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting.
Pacific Island countries are the custodians of the last remaining healthy tuna stocks in the world and manage a marine area of 30 million square kilometres, supported with technical support and services from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). FFA members participate at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission along with other fishing nations (such as Asian nations, EU and US) to set rules for fishing in the Western and Central Pacific
Ocean.
