Ministers from the South Pacific Group (SPG) gathered today in Wellington to reflect on the Group’s achievements and collective successes. Convening in the margins of the Forum Fisheries’ Ministerial Meeting in New Zealand, members reaffirmed shared commitment to regional solidarity and cooperation in the sustainable management of South Pacific oceanic fisheries resources.
The gathering highlighted the important role in the South Pacific Group continues to play in advancing the interests of Pacific Island countries in the southern longline fishery, through collective action, strategic cooperation, and a unified voice on fisheries issues of regional and international importance.
The South Pacific Group is a coalition of five Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, and Tonga. They collaborate to maximise the benefits from sustainable oceanic fisheries resources, through collective management and cooperation promoting shared rights, national interests, and regional priorities in tuna and other oceanic fisheries.
Ministers reflected on significant milestones achieved since the establishment of the Group’s strategic framework, including:
*The signing of the South Pacific Group Memorandum of Understanding in 2022;
*Adoption of the South Pacific Group Strategy 2023–2028;
*Agreement on the South Pacific Group’s internal allocation for South Pacific Albacore (2024);
*Adoption of the interim South Pacific Albacore Target Reference Point proposal at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC21);
Agreement on an FFA internal allocation for South Pacific Albacore (2025); and
Adoption of the WCPFC Conservation and Management Measure 2025-01 establishing a Management Procedure for South Pacific Albacore (WCPFC22).
Ministers acknowledged that these achievements demonstrate the value of unity and cooperation among SPG countries in shaping the future management of one of the region’s most important fisheries resources.
The SPG has maintained a strategic focus on leveraging fishing rights to ensure sustainable tuna fisheries, pursuing opportunities to improve economic and social benefits from fisheries resources, and strengthening institutional and technical capacity to support effective fisheries management.
Looking ahead, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing key priorities for 2026–2027, including securing a fair and equitable allocation framework for South Pacific Albacore across the area of application of the South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure; adopting the South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure Implementation Measure at WCPFC23; advancing full electronic reporting in the southern longline fishery in SPG countries; developing the Zone Based Management Agreement; and contributing to broader harvest strategy work, including the Bigeye Management Procedure.
Ministers emphasised the strength of the South Pacific Group lies in its ability to work together on issues of common interest and to advocate collectively for outcomes that benefit Pacific communities, economies, and future generations.
The gathering provided an opportunity not only to celebrate past successes, but also to strengthen relationships among member countries and reaffirm a shared vision for sustainable fisheries, regional prosperity, and continued Pacific unity
