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The Forum Fisheries Agency is working to safeguard the Pacific’s tuna resources as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen governance, systems, and service delivery.

FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop says the FFA Secretariat recently underwent an independent performance review, which provided recommendations that the agency is now actively implementing to ensure the sustainable management of the region’s tuna fisheries.

He adds that tuna remains the Pacific’s most valuable natural resource, underpinning national budgets, development priorities, and public services in many member countries.

The FFA says effective stewardship of this resource is central to the economic resilience and long-term security of the Blue Pacific region.

“The Secretariat is currently undertaking comprehensive reforms. We are also preparing a new strategic plan to be presented to ministers in June. This is a moment of renewal, ensuring that the FFA Secretariat remains fit for purpose, responsive to members, and well positioned to lead in a rapidly changing environment.”

Pakop says that nearly fifty years after Pacific leaders established the FFA, the agency continues to adapt to an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment, including climate change, shifting tuna stocks, new regulations, technological advancements, and growing global interest in Pacific waters.

Minister for Fisheries Alitia Bainivalu says the Pacific must strengthen partnerships and leverage technology to meet global demands for transparency while protecting the tuna industry.

“Sovereign management is about enhancing our ability to oversee and protect our exclusive economic zones through regional cooperation and collective security. It is also about strengthening industrial infrastructure by improving logistics, supply chains, and export systems to bridge the gap between high-level dialogue and actionable frameworks.”

Bainivalu says the focus is on better technology, stronger regional cooperation, and improved logistics to protect tuna stocks and align partner support with the FFA’s strategic plan to avoid duplication and achieve sustainable results.

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