BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele officially opened the Honiara Summit 2025 at the Friendship Hall yesterday morning.
Delivering his keynote address, Manele welcomed heads of government, the Secretary-General and Special Envoy on the Ocean, the Director-General of the Forum Fisheries Agency, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ministers of Fisheries from across the Pacific, the Director-General of the United Nations International Food and Agriculture Organization, the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, distinguished delegates, international and regional heads of organizations, and other official stakeholders.
“It is a privilege to once again extend a warm welcome to each of you to the Solomon Islands and to this venue, the Friendship Hall, which fits well with the theme of the Summit. The theme of this Summit, as highlighted by the Minister of Fisheries and Ambassador Peter Thompson, is ‘Iumi Together: Delivering on SDG 14.4, Achieving Sustainable Fisheries,’” said Manele.
He emphasized that achieving sustainable fisheries is only possible if nations work together at the national, regional, and international levels.
He noted that Pacific nations have long recognized the importance of regional cooperation and have been striving toward sustainable fisheries for over half a century.
PM Manele stressed that regional cooperation is crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainability of fish stocks, particularly struggling and highly migratory fish stocks, while also enabling states to maximize benefits from their sustainable use.
He highlighted that with vast ocean areas, limited capacity, and growing competition for access to fish stocks, it is essential that Pacific nations work collectively to manage these resources effectively.
“In this spirit, I urge all foreign members to continue our collective efforts to finalize all remaining maritime zones and reaffirm the commitment made by Pacific Island leaders in 2021. Our maritime zones, as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, must remain intact, despite the impacts of climate change.
By working together in the Pacific Way, we strengthen our stewardship of the ocean, uphold our sovereign rights, and advance sustainable ocean management to safeguard our Blue Pacific Continent for future generations,” said Manele.
He further elaborated on SDG 14, which consists of 10 interconnected targets, with SDG 14.4 specifically addressing the sustainability of marine fishery resources and the achievement of sustainable fisheries.
“SDG 14.4 calls for the effective regulation of fishing practices to end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and destructive fishing methods.
The goal is to restore fish stocks to sustainable levels through science-based management plans that ensure the long-term health of marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of communities that depend on them,” said Manele.
He pointed out that the 10 SDG 14 targets are interconnected with SDG 14.4, which is especially crucial for the Pacific Islands region, where sustainable fisheries contribute significantly to national GDP.
“The current assessment of the SDG 14.4.1 target—which measures the proportion of marine fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels—continues to show an overall worsening trend.
In 2021, only 62.3% of fish stocks were within biologically sustainable levels, compared to 90% in 1974.
However, positive trends exist for commercially significant fishery resources, particularly in the tuna fisheries, where 85% of commercial catch comes from sustainable stocks with healthy abundance levels, primarily managed through regional fisheries management organizations,” he said.
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