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.

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. 

RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS 17-21 MAY 2010: Fisheries officers, police and legal staff in Cook Islands learnt more about how to board, inspect and prosecute fishing vessels at an FFA Dockside and Boarding Inspection Workshop which closes today.

Officers were taught subjects including International law, National laws, Regional and Sub-regional Fisheries Agreements, Fishing Vessel Boarding & Evidence Collections and Court Procedures.

FFA has provided these workshops for all its member countries and territories to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance in the Pacific Islands region. In addition to fisheries and police or navy officers, crown law office staff and public prosecutions staff, officers in related roles such as immigration, customs and quarantine agencies have also attended the workshops. A total of 400 participants from 15 FFA member countries have participated since 2005.

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.