BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Maritime security in the Pacific region is confronted by a daunting array of challenges, some age-old, others new and emerging.
Professor Transform Aqorau, SINU Vice Chancellor, highlighted this during a two-day maritime workshop held from July 23-24 in Honiara.
Charting the key threats that demand a Pacific coordinating response, Professor Aqorau said the most obvious one that most are familiar with is (IUU) Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing.
He expressed that while fisheries is the lifeblood of Pacific economies and diets, it is under siege from illegal fishing fleets and unscrupulous operators.
“Every year, billions of dollars’ worth of tuna and other fish are harvested from our waters. When foreign vessels evade licensing or under-report their catch, they are stealing from our tables and revenue from our treasuries,” he said.
Aqorau said Pacific nations have become heavily alarmed by IUU fishing, which has devastated ecosystems and livelihoods, costing up to an estimated half a billion dollars in lost revenue in recent years.
“Beyond the economic loss, illegal fishing undermines the sustainability of our stocks and the rights of our people to benefit from the resources in their exclusive economic zones.
“It is, in essence, an assault on our sovereignty. This is why regional surveillance operations and enforcement initiatives, like the Forum Fisheries Agency’s Operation Kuru Kuru and the use of satellite vessel monitoring systems, are so crucial,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor stated that we need to share data seamlessly, prosecute offenders vigorously, and leave no dark corner in our ocean where plunderers can hide.
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