25 August 2026 – The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Honourable Matthew Cooper Wale, visited the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) yesterday afternoon, including the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC), ahead of the 55th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Palau.
Prime Minister Wale met with FFA’s Officer-in-Charge and Fisheries Development Director, Dr Chris Reid, before touring the Centre and hearing more about the work taking place to support Solomon Islands and FFA’s other 16 Members.
The visit gave Prime Minister Wale an opportunity to see first-hand how the Centre works and how regional fisheries surveillance and intelligence support Solomon Islands and FFA’s Members.
He was given a closer look at how the region keeps track of fishing activity across the vast Pacific – bringing together vessel monitoring, satellite information, aerial surveillance, intelligence and information from national authorities and regional partners.
For Solomon Islands, the Centre provides an important regional layer of support. Information gathered through the system can help identify vessels of interest, check whether they are licensed and operating within the rules, and support national authorities when further action is needed.
The discussion also covered some of the challenges facing fisheries enforcement and response to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and transnational maritime crime, including priority areas of profiling vessel compliance performance and beneficial ownership, captains behind vessels and the importance of accurate reporting.
But the conversation was not only about surveillance and enforcement. FFA’s broader role is to help Pacific Island countries sustainably manage one of the region’s most valuable resources and get greater economic benefit from their fisheries.
With such a vast ocean to cover, no country can do this alone. The strength of the region’s fisheries work comes from countries sharing information, expertise and resources and working together
Prime Minister Wale, who is the current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), is expected to deliver the keynote address at FFA’s side event on the sidelines of the 55th PIF Leaders Meeting in Palau, from 30 August to 5 September.
The FFA side event, scheduled for 31 August from 4pm – 5pm at the Ngarachamayong Culture Centre in Koror, will focus on the role of the RFSC under the theme: Securing Our Blue Pacific: Integrated Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and the Future of the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC).
Source: FFA Media Press Release
