The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR), in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC), is working to strengthen and advance aquaculture development in Kiribati. As part of this ongoing collaboration, two aquaculture specialists from SPC, Mr Michael Salini and Miss Teari Kaure, undertook a three-day visit to Kiribati from 8–11 September 2026 to support ongoing and planned aquaculture programs. During the visit, the team discussed areas of improvement for sandfish, microalgae, seaweed and Artemia, as well with the assessment to the existing sand filtration system at Tanaea Hatchery. The existing sand-filtration system has been operating for more than 20 years and therefore upgrading is essential to enhance hatchery production, as clean water is critical for successful larval development and survival.
The team also discussed other aquaculture development opportunities, including the potential for Artemia production on Kiritimati Island, with a feasibility study proposed as the next step. During the mission, they visited Kiribati Fisheries Limited (KFL) and Kiritimati Island Fisheries Limited (KIFL) to learn about their processing, production and feed supply systems. The visits also explored opportunities to utilise fish processing by-products and other waste materials as potential aquaculture feed ingredients. They also visited the fish cage operated by KIFL to learn about its production capacity and how it could contribute to meeting local demand.
The Ministry acknowledges its joint-venture companies, KFL and KIFL, for their cooperation and support during the mission. The Ministry also extends its sincere appreciation to SPC for its continued support and commitment to advancing aquaculture development across Kiribati.