The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) have jointly presented the outcomes of the 2026 Fisheries Ministers Meetings to the Forum Officials Committee (FOC) in Suva, Fiji.
FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop and SPC Deputy Director-General Dr Andrew Jones delivered the joint presentation during the FOC Meeting, highlighting the key fisheries and aquaculture agreed by the Ministers, including the Vakamanu Regional Pacific Fisheries Strategy 2026-2035, which will be presented to Pacific Islands Forum Leaders for consideration and endorsement.
The Vakamanu Strategy, adopted by Fisheries Ministers in Wellington, New Zealand in July 2026, is the Pacific region’s new overarching fisheries and aquaculture framework for the next decade. It brings offshore fisheries, coastal fisheries, and aquaculture together under a single regional 10-year framework.
The name Vakamanu is a Niuean term which refers to a flock of birds hovering above a school of fish — a symbol of abundance and hope. Drawing on the blue Pacific concept of vaka (canoe) and manu (birds), the Strategy embodies unity in one canoe and shared responsibility for the region’s fisheries resources.
Pakop said the Strategy provides Pacific Leaders with holistic oversight of the management and development of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture resources.
“Fisheries and aquaculture are not a sectoral issue – they are a strategic regional resource, underpinning government revenue, food security, livelihoods, and the practical expression of our Members’ sovereignty and stewardship of the ocean,” Pakop told the FOC.
“It is therefore important that Leaders continue to have holistic oversight over the management and development of this critical resource. The Vakamanu Strategy is the vehicle by which Leaders are able to exercise that oversight.”
The presentation underscored the significance of the region’s fisheries, noting that tuna generates approximately USD 500 million in access fees and USD$1.2 billion in export earnings annually, while coastal fisheries support the livelihoods of up to one-third of Pacific households.
With Pacific tuna stocks remaining among the healthiest in the world, Pakop said FFA is shifting its focus to value retention and economic development through the East New Britain Initiative (ENBi) and the FFA Strategic Plan 2026 2031.
The joint presentation reflects the close partnership between FFA and SPC in supporting Pacific Island countries to achieve sustainable fisheries, resilient coastal communities and long-term economic prosperity.
The outcomes of the 2026 Fisheries Ministers Meetings, together with the Vakamanu Regional Pacific Fisheries Strategy 2026–2035, will now be considered by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders during their meeting in Koror, Palau from 30 August – 04 September 2026.
