Achieving Sustainable Fisheries in The Pacific Islands

Abstract

The tuna fisheries within the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Pacific islands are the richest in the world. Pacific Islanders have some of the highest per capita fish and seafood consumption rates in the world, and both commercial and subsistence fisheries are of vital significance. This paper sets out a vision for the region’s fisheries that incorporates a number of elements, including sustainable harvesting of targeted fish stocks, protection of habitat, conservation of threatened species, maximising the value to the region of fish harvest, addressing the issues of marine pollution (including plastics), and increasing the employment opportunities for Pacific Islanders in the management and conservation of their resources, to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and achieve truly sustainable fisheries.