How Pacific countries are winning the battle against illegal fishing | The Pacific

Key Concepts

• IUU Fishing (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing): Fishing activities conducted in contravention of national or international laws, or not reported/misreported to relevant authorities.
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): A sea zone over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
• AIS (Automatic Identification System): An automated tracking system used on ships for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships, AIS base stations, and satellites.
• Dog Leg Area: A specific, sensitive maritime region within Papua New Guinea's EEZ, near the Indonesian border, where jurisdictional clarity is often disputed due to the lack of a formalized maritime boundary.
• Pacific Islands Foreign Fisheries Agency (FFA): An intergovernmental organization that assists its 17 member countries in sustainably managing and developing their tuna fisheries.
• East New Britain Initiative: A program aimed at increasing regional processing of tuna within Pacific Island nations to capture more of the value chain.
• Tuna Transshipment: The process of transferring fish from one fishing vessel to another, often for transport to processing facilities or markets.
• Pacific Islands Tuna: A government-led venture demonstrating a new model for local control over the tuna value chain, involving local crews, direct sales, and profit sharing for conservation.

Challenges Facing Pacific Fisheries

The Pacific region, despite being comprised of "vast ocean states" responsible for some of the world's most abundant marine territories, faces significant challenges in its fisheries. Annibal's family in a Tim Moes village, for instance, highlights how fishing, once a reliable source of income, is now difficult due to climate change and illegal fishing. The village is less than 20 kilometers from the Indonesian border, and the absence of a formal maritime boundary exacerbates issues like reef damage and unauthorized fishing by foreign vessels. Protecting these vital marine livelihoods from IUU fishing is a monumental task, though authorities are increasingly cracking down on offenders.

Case Study: Enforcement in the "Dog Leg" Area

A notable example of this crackdown involves Indonesian fishermen arrested in Papua New Guinea (PNG) waters. Arif Yuga Arento and Sahil were arrested on October 22, 2024 (likely a typo for an earlier year), charged with illegal fishing in PNG's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). They are now serving 5-year prison sentences after failing to pay fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the past year, 38 Indonesian fishermen have been imprisoned in Bulmana prison, their vessels confiscated and destroyed.

These arrests occurred in the "Dog Leg" area, a part of PNG's EEZ where no formally agreed maritime border with Indonesia exists. The arrested fishermen claimed ignorance of the exact boundary, relying only on a compass with GPS. Paul Barker from the Institute of National Affairs describes the Dog Leg as a "difficult area to clearly designate and identify," prone to IUU fishing where individuals on both sides of the border collude to supply Asian markets. Monitoring is challenging, especially when local villages trade with these illegal operators.

The National Fisheries Agency of PNG asserts full jurisdiction over the Dog Leg area under international law, stating that prosecuting and imprisoning foreign fishermen in such sensitive regions reinforces PNG's sovereign rights. This is deemed crucial for jurisdictional clarity near the Indonesia-PNG maritime border. However, the lack of a formalized agreement between Indonesia and PNG creates "hesitation or doubt" for law enforcement at sea. The imprisoned fishermen, identifying as ordinary employees, have pleaded for the Indonesian government to negotiate their case, citing lack of legal or financial support and the hardship faced by their families. The Indonesian embassy did not respond to inquiries.

Advanced Surveillance and Shifting Nature of IUU Fishing

The Pacific Islands Foreign Fisheries Agency (FFA), headquartered in Honiara, plays a crucial role in combating IUU fishing. It supports 17 member countries, which collectively account for 30% of the global tuna catch. The FFA operates a sophisticated surveillance center that utilizes AIS (Automated Information System), a tracking system, to monitor a gigantic area of the Pacific Ocean, spanning 30 million square kilometers.

Four times a year, Pacific nations and their security partners conduct joint sky and ocean operations, coordinated from the FFA center. Each operation typically identifies 8 to 12 "vessels of interest" suspected of IUU fishing. Interestingly, the nature of IUU fishing has evolved. While "dark ships" from distant nations fishing without licenses were a bigger problem in the past, they now account for only 5% of IUU activity. Thanks to emerging technology, the vast majority of IUU fishing today comes from licensed vessels that misreport their catch. Mr. Pakob of the FFA emphasizes that prosecuting these rule-breakers is vital for creating a deterrent effect.

Economic Empowerment and New Value Chain Models

Despite holding 60% of global tuna stocks in their waters, Pacific Island nations capture less than 10% of the final market value. This is largely because much of the tuna caught in the Pacific is processed elsewhere and then re-imported as canned goods. To address this economic disparity, the East New Britain Initiative aims to increase regional processing among FFA members. Local processing could "double [or] triple" the returns for these nations.

Majuro, one of the world's largest tuna transshipment ports, exemplifies the traditional model where foreign boats pay to fish and offload their catch for processing outside the region. However, a new model is revolutionizing the supply chain: Pacific Islands Tuna. This government venture employs local fishing crews who operate under strict catch reporting standards. By "cutting out the middleman," they sell their product directly to retailers like Walmart and Costco. This model ensures that 60% of profits go back to the government, with the remaining 40% funding conservation projects. Retailers are supportive, knowing the benefits directly reach the resource owners. While their current tuna processing is in Thailand, there are plans under the East New Britain Initiative to bring this processing to the Pacific, with scoping underway for canneries in PNG.

Conclusion

The Pacific region is undergoing a significant "paradigm shift," moving towards greater control and ownership over its marine resources. By enhancing surveillance, enforcing sovereign rights, and developing innovative economic models like Pacific Islands Tuna, these nations are striving to reclaim the value chain from the depths of the ocean to the supermarket shelves. This comprehensive approach addresses both the environmental threats of IUU fishing and the economic imperative of maximizing benefits from their abundant marine wealth.