PM Wale to Champion Pacific Fisheries at FFA Side Event in Palau

Prime Minister Hon. Matthew Wale will take Solomon Islands’ voice to the regional stage in Palau next week, where he is set to deliver the keynote address at a Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) side event during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

The event, to be held in Koror on 31 August 2026, will place the spotlight on fisheries as one of the Pacific’s most important sources of livelihoods, food security, government revenue and future prosperity.

Prime Minister Wale, who is the outgoing Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, is expected to use the opportunity to reinforce the need for Pacific-led cooperation in safeguarding the region’s ocean resources and ensuring fisheries continue to benefit Pacific communities.

Ahead of the Leaders Meeting, the Prime Minister visited the FFA headquarters in Honiara on Monday, 24 August, where he was briefed on the agency’s work and toured the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC).

The RFSC plays a central role in supporting Pacific countries to monitor fishing activity across the region’s vast ocean space. Its work includes regional surveillance and monitoring operations that help countries detect and respond to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

During the visit, Prime Minister Wale commended the FFA for its work and expressed appreciation for the capabilities demonstrated at the surveillance centre. He was particularly impressed by the strength of the Pacific’s regional fisheries surveillance system, which is supported by strong cooperation among Pacific countries and partners.

For Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries, fisheries are more than an economic sector. They are a foundation for food on the table, jobs in communities, national revenue and long-term opportunities for future generations.

That is why effective management, monitoring and protection of the region’s marine resources remain essential to the wellbeing and prosperity of Pacific peoples.

Prime Minister Wale’s engagement with the FFA underscores the Government’s commitment to working closely with Pacific countries to protect shared fisheries, strengthen regional action and ensure the ocean continues to support Pacific lives and livelihoods.

As Pacific leaders gather in Palau under the theme of building stronger economies and a resilient Blue Pacific, the message from Solomon Islands is clear: protecting fisheries is protecting people, prosperity and the future of the region.