Solomon Islands PM visits regional fisheries surveillance centre

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale visited the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre ahead of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. During the visit, Wale met with FFA Officer-in-Charge Dr. Chris Reid to discuss regional efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and transnational maritime crime.

The Centre provides critical support to the Solomon Islands and 16 other FFA member nations by utilizing vessel monitoring, satellite data, aerial surveillance, and shared intelligence. This regional infrastructure helps identify vessels of interest, verify licensing compliance, and assist national authorities in enforcement actions across the vast Pacific Ocean.

Discussions also addressed the complexities of fisheries enforcement, including the need to profile vessel compliance, identify beneficial ownership, track vessel captains, and ensure accurate reporting to protect the region's vital economic resources.