Second Advanced Fisheries Negotiations Course Underway in Honiara
A regional training course to sharpen and strengthen the negotiating skills of officials from the Ministry of Fisheries, Foreign Affairs and legal officers is underway in Honiara this morning for the next five days.
Hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the Advanced Fisheries Negotiations Course 2025, aims to build the capacity of FFA Members to negotiate effectively on international fisheries matters, whether in bilateral settings or high-stakes multilateral forums such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
This intensive, hands-on training is designed to support national and regional interests, and is grounded in real-world negotiations experience from the Pacific and beyond. It builds on the foundations laid by the original FFA Negotiations Course pioneered by the late Professor William Edeson.
The course began with a heartfelt tribute – the William Edeson Memorial Lecture, delivered by Emeritus Professor Martin Tsamenyi, honouring the late Professor William Edeson’s contribution to the development in international fisheries law and Pacific diplomacy.
Emeritus Professor Martin Tsamenyi delivered the William Edeson Memorial Lecture.
Speaking on behalf of FFA Director-General Noan Pakop, Deputy Director-General Dr Pio Manoa warmly welcomed participants to the five-day training. He noted that FFA has long been working with its Members to strengthen negotiation skills, as outcomes of future negotiations will directly impact fisheries. Dr Manoa encouraged participants to continue building their skills and knowledge to safeguard the interests of FFA Members.
FFA Deputy Director-General, Dr Pio Manoa.
The training course is practical and dynamic in nature, and aims to encourage participants to draw on their own experiences while learning from seasoned negotiators. From deep dives into fisheries subsidies negotiations at the World Trade Organisations (WTO), to navigating the intersections of climate change and ocean governance, participants will explore strategies, tactics and lessons that directly impact the Pacific’s ability to protect and advance its interests.
The course also explores recent developments in international fisheries law, the workings of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) like WCPFC, and broader dynamics of international negotiations.
The course facilitators include: former New Zealand Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Don Mackay; Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to WTO, H.E. Ambassador Mere Falemaka; WCPFC Chair, Dr Josie Tamate, Professor Francesco Mancini of the National University of Singapore; Distinguished Professor Stuart Kaye, Director of the Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS); and FFA Legal Advisor, Emeritus Professor Martin Tsamenyi.
With around 30 plus participants (including seven women) from across FFA’s Membership, the training brings together both alumni of previous negotiation courses and first-time participants, ensuring a mix of fresh perspectives and seasoned insights.
The training course is part of FFA’s wider commitment in providing capacity building to its Members in the area of negotiations ensuring a stronger voice by the fisheries sector joins other sectors in development issues in regional and global fisheries policy, aligned with the region’s shared vision of securing maximum economic and social benefits from offshore fisheries resources.
With a high turnover of fisheries and legal officers involved in the fisheries space, on-going training and capacity building avails to the new influx of officers’ information on current development of fisheries nexus with other issues in the ocean governance space, a crucial one being the climate change impacts on fisheries to date.
FFA acknowledges the on-going support of the World Bank Pacific Islands Regional Oceanscape Program – Second Phase for Economic Resilience (PROPER) Project in capacity building efforts for FFA Members.
The training will conclude on Friday 27 June 2025.
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 23 JUNE 2025
| Media Contacts: Emily V. Moli FFA Communications Manager e: [email protected] Ernest Ta'asi FFA Communications Officer e: ernest.ta’[email protected] Priscilla Ragu FFA Communications Officer e: [email protected] |  |
| About Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) FFA assists its 17 Members to sustainably manage fishery resources that fall within their 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). FFA provides expertise, technical assistance and other support to its members who make decisions about their tuna resources and participate in regional decision making on tuna management. Find out more here: www.ffa.int |
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