News

News updates from the Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources.

Kiribati Engages in Key Discussions on Tuna Sustainability at PTF 2025

The 9th Pacific Tuna Forum (PTF 2025) was held from 14–15 October 2025 at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa in Denarau, Nadi, Fiji, under the transformative theme “Pacific Tuna 2050: Resilience, Innovation, Equity, and Sustainable Trade for a Prosperous Future.”
Jointly organized by Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry, Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority (NFA), and INFOFISH, in collaboration with key regional fisheries organizations and stakeholders, the forum brought together policymakers, regulatory officials, industry leaders, development partners, academics, and community representatives from across the Pacific and beyond to discuss the future of the region’s tuna industry.
Kiribati was represented by two officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR), who participated in the forum discussions and engagements. Their participation reflected Kiribati’s continued commitment to regional cooperation, sustainable tuna management, and promoting equitable growth across the Pacific fisheries sector.
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Dockside Training Empowers Officers to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices

A Dockside Boarding and Inspection Training was successfully conducted on October 18, 2025, on Kiritimati Island, aimed to strengthen the capacity of fisheries officers to effectively conduct vessel inspections and enforce fisheries laws at sea. The training was specifically designed for Fisheries Officers responsible for the routine dockside boarding and inspection and covered key areas such as boarding procedures, inspection techniques, Gen3 vessel compliance, observer placement meetings, safety protocols, and other related compliance measures.
The main purpose of the training was to enhance the technical skills and knowledge of fisheries personnel in promoting responsible fishing practices, improving monitoring and control operations, and supporting national efforts to prevent, deter, and eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
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Empowering North Tarawa Communities through Sustainable Seaweed Farming

Considering the limited availability of land, aquaculture presents a viable solution to maximize resources and support livelihoods. In line with this, seaweed farming is one promising aquaculture option that can help address land limitations while improving community income. Thus, four officials from the Aquaculture Unit under CFD recently conducted seaweed farming training in North Tarawa under the FAO Mariculture Project. The project focused on promoting sustainable seaweed farming practices, planting seaweed with participants, providing materials, and offering guidance on how seaweed can contribute to local livelihoods.
A key highlight of the visit was the introduction of a new farming method, allowing cultivation in areas previously unsuitable due to site conditions. Communities also expressed strong interest in value-added seaweed products to sell locally, showing growing engagement and enthusiasm for seaweed farming.
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Kiribati Joins Global Dialogue on Climate Adaptation in Ōtautahi Christchurch

A one-week conference on adaptation pivoting actions for the future is being held from the 13- 16 of October,2025 at Te Pae Convention Centre in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. This flagship event on climate adaptation is co-hosted by the University of Canterbury (Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha) and the United Nations’ World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP), with regional and international partners.
During this week, the conference brings in more than 1,800 practitioners, scientists, policymakers, Indigenous leaders and community representatives to share, gather, collaborate and shape climate-resilient futures. The dialogue provides the opportunity for 2 officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources to join the discussion during this week’s program. The conference echoed the strong sentiments of strong collaborations, building networks with concreate actions to pivot adaptation actions. The MFOR delegates, represented in panel discussions, and contributing to cross-sector dialogue with possible discussions on project development in areas of climate adaptation. Showcasing Kiribati’s work in Marine Spatial Planning, resilience of small islands (integrating knowledge, policy & action), and the talk on seaweed industry in the Pacific and Kiribati, with updates on areas to leveraging support in this industry is vital, generally to diversity opportunities, promote entrepreneurship and building resilience. The attendance was made possible through the funding support fromm MFAT through the SPC and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) from Canada. Kiribati participation underscores the commitment to adaptation, ocean governance, and sustainable development in the Pacific.
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