The Fisheries Ministry says for the region, offshore fisheries, particularly tuna, are among the most significant economic assets. However, no country or institution can secure long-term prosperity alone.

While speaking during the Second FFA Development Partners Symposium, Minister Alitia Bainivalu called for a reset in how Pacific fisheries are managed, financed, and developed.

Bainivalu says the Pacific is no longer content with simply managing resources well as the region intends to fully benefit from them.

Anchoring her address in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Minister said the region’s collective efforts must align with a Pacific-led vision of resilience, sovereignty, and economic strength.

“Our leaders have set a vision for a resilient and prosperous region, exercising collective stewardship over our ocean. To achieve this, we must transition from donor-led initiatives to Pacific-led requirements.”

Bainivalu says that strong stock assessments, robust monitoring, and disciplined governance are essential to securing tuna stocks but warns that management alone does not equal development.

She says there is a pressing need for the Pacific to retain a greater share of the tuna value chain from processing and logistics to exports and job creation – rather than exporting raw value offshore.

The Minister also highlights that climate variability is shifting migratory tuna stocks across Exclusive Economic Zones.

Global markets are tightening transparency requirements, and technology is rapidly transforming compliance, monitoring, and enforcement systems.

“To remain globally competitive, our collaboration with development partners must deepen,” she said, identifying technological modernization, advanced analytics, electronic monitoring systems, digital reporting, and strengthened maritime surveillance as critical priorities.

She further called for stronger sovereign management of Exclusive Economic Zones through regional cooperation and collective security frameworks.

Over the two days, symposium discussions will focus on synchronizing partner contributions with the FFA Strategic Plan, eliminating duplication, and ensuring measurable impact.

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