PM Manele Urges Pacific Leaders for Stronger Fisheries Management

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has strongly urged Pacific Leaders to establish comprehensive management arrangements to ensure sustainable fisheries in the Pacific region. 

Speaking at the Honiara Summit, convened under the theme "Iumi Tugeda Delivering on SDG 14.4: Achieving Sustainable Fisheries," PM Manele called on ministers and regional leaders to focus on meaningful action and innovation to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.4.

PM Manele, Ministers and regional leaders in group photo. Photo by Honiara Summit

Acknowledging the significant challenges posed by climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, over-exploitation, and marine pollution, PM Manele emphasized the need for continued vigilance.

“We should not be complacent,” he said. “The vision of our Leaders in bringing the region together since the 1970s remains critical. Without their commitment to regional cooperation and institution-building, achieving SDG14.4 would not have been possible.”

PM Manele reaffirmed the commitment of regional leaders to strengthening policies, enhancing international cooperation, and ensuring that fisheries remain a vital source of economic prosperity and food security for Pacific Islanders.  

Reflecting on SDG 14.4—which calls for the effective regulation and sustainable harvesting of fish stocks—he noted that the Pacific region had already implemented robust management measures before the goal's adoption in 2015. 

He cited the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA), adopted in 2012, as a prime example. This multilateral agreement strengthens fisheries enforcement through resource-sharing and intelligence exchange, enhancing monitoring and surveillance efforts. 

He also referenced the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (1995) and the subsequent establishment of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (2000), which further strengthened the legal framework for regional fisheries governance.  

“Based on scientific advice from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, all key tuna stocks in the region are healthy,” PM Manele said. “This is a testament to the long-standing efforts of the region and the vision of Pacific Leaders.”

Tracing the roots of regional fisheries management back to the early 1970s and the formation of the Pacific Islands Forum, PM Manele highlighted the sustainable utilization of marine resources as a shared early priority. 

He noted the 1977 adoption of the Declaration on the Law of the Sea and the establishment of a Regional Fisheries Agency as significant milestones that laid the foundation for regional cooperation in fisheries conservation and management.