News

A dedicated team from the Kiribati Marine Spatial Planning Coordinating Committee (KMSPCC), chaired and coordinated by the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR), has successfully completed its first people-centered island-level Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) mission to Abaiang Island.

The mission, conducted from 1–10 August, marks a historic first step towards establishing the Island-level MSP process and is a key part of KMSPCC’s coordinated work to ensure that community priorities are fully integrated into the national MSP framework.

This milestone activity falls under the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP), which supports MSP development across four pilot islands — Abaiang, Tamana, Onotoa, and Tabiteuea North — with a strong emphasis on local voices shaping marine management.

During their stay, the team met with members of the full council, undertook village consultation, carried out schools visits, collected and validated GIS data on Abaiang island, introduced marine spatial planning and hear directly from local communities on how they prefer to use, protect and conserve their marine space, including key fishing areas, cultural sites and to maintain their conservation zones.

This is a vital step toward inclusive and sustainable ocean management that reflects the voices and needs of island communities.

Are you from Abaiang? Can you think of any places of value related to fisheries, cultural and conservation of the ocean that can be included in the marine spatial planning for Abaiang? Please comment below!

A team of three staff from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources is currently on Makin Island conducting ciguatera fish sampling, following the successful completion of similar activities in Kuria, Maiana, and Abaiang. Alongside this, heavy metal fish sampling is also being undertaken to gather vital data on the island’s marine pollution levels.

While Makin Island is rich in marine resources, its history of ciguatera outbreaks in certain fishing grounds has become a growing concern for the community regarding seafood safety. Therefore, the team work in collaboration with the island council, the community from Kiebu Islet, and local fishermen, to understand valuable information of the Island's fishing areas and known ciguatera sites. This significantly assisted in fish sampling from key fishing grounds, primarily on Kiebu Islet, Onne Islet, and Makin’s main island.

These sampling sites were mapped to distinguish known ciguatera-affected areas from non-ciguatera areas, with final classification based on laboratory analysis. As the samples will be sent to the Cawthron Laboratory in New Zealand to obtain raw data on ciguatera and marine pollution in Makin Island. Informing future mitigation and management strategies of this major alarming concerns on seafood hazard.

The Ministry sincerely thanks the island council, fishermen, and the community from Kiebu Islet for their kind cooperation and support, and acknowledges the World Bank, through the PROP programme, for funding this relevant activity.'