What Fit in a Suitcase – and What Didn’t

The most valuable thing Michaela McGlade took home from Operation Tui Moana didn’t fit inside a suitcase. It wasn’t a training manual or a certificate – it was the relationships.

For three weeks, from 4 to 22 May, fisheries officers from across the Pacific trained together in Honiara, under Operation Tui Moana 2026, led by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). They came from different countries, backgrounds and cultures, but shared a common purpose. Among them was Michaela McGlade, an International Adviser for International Monitoring and Intelligence within Fisheries Compliance, Monitoring and Intelligence at New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, based in Wellington.

For Michaela, those daily interactions became one of the highlights of the operation.

“The most memorable part was working closely with officers from different Pacific countries,” she said. “We shared knowledge, built relationships, and learned from each other’s experiences.” Those connections mattered, she adds.

While the operation focused on strengthening fisheries monitoring and compliance, it also created an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and build professional networks that will continue long after the training ends.

With roots in both New Zealand and the Cook Islands, Michaela grew up around the ocean. Fishing, diving and waterskiing were part of her childhood, and that connection to the ocean eventually led her to study Marine Biology.

Her path into fisheries grew from a desire to help protect the ocean and support the communities that depend on it.

“I wanted to contribute to protecting that resource and supporting sustainable livelihoods,” she said. “Over time, I developed a strong interest in monitoring, compliance and regional cooperation.”

Representing her country during Operation Tui Moana was something she described as both an honour and a responsibility.

“I was proud to represent my country while working alongside others who shared the same commitment to protecting our region’s resources,” she said.

The pace of the training was demanding, but it also provided opportunities to put theory into practice. Some of Michaela’s proudest moments came when she was able to apply new skills and contribute to team exercises alongside colleagues from across the region.

“Being able to apply what I’d learned and contribute effectively to the team made me feel proud, especially when working collaboratively across cultures,” she said.

The experience reinforced something she already believed: Pacific countries are stronger when they work together.

“Seeing Pacific countries unite shows the strength of our region,” she said. “Collaboration like this gives me hope that we can effectively manage and protect our shared resources.”

Back home, Michaela returned with new skills, new knowledge and lasting connections with colleagues from across the Pacific.

She also hopes people gain a better understanding of the work fisheries officers do behind the scenes.

“Fisheries officers play a crucial role in protecting marine resources, ensuring compliance, and supporting sustainable development across the region,” she said.

“But at the end of the day, fisheries officers are people too, people who chose this line of work because they genuinely care and share a deep love for the ocean.”

For Michaela, the lasting value of Operation Tui Moana wasn’t measured by the training completed or the certificates earned.

It was measured by the partnerships formed, the lessons shared and the reminder that across the Pacific, no one works alone.

About Operation Tui Moana

Operation Tui Moana 2026, led by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), brought together fisheries, maritime and law enforcement personnel from across the Pacific to strengthen efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other transnational maritime crimes.

The three-week operation covered the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of 10 Pacific Island countries and adjacent high seas areas, combining maritime patrols, aerial surveillance, intelligence analysis and compliance monitoring. At its centre was the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara, where 21 secondees from FFA Members, partner agencies and monitoring, control and surveillance organisations worked together to coordinate intelligence, planning and surveillance activities.

During the operation, authorities conducted 61 vessel inspections, verified more than 200 vessel detections, identified four vessels of interest and made two apprehensions linked to suspected fisheries-related offences.

Operation Tui Moana also strengthened regional cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement through joint surveillance activities, boarding exercises and intelligence sharing. As fisheries compliance challenges continue to evolve, operations such as Tui Moana play a vital role in protecting Pacific fisheries resources, supporting the sustainable management of tuna stocks and ensuring the benefits remain with Pacific people, in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

HONIARA, 08 JUNE 2026

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