Demonstrating their ongoing commitment to their endorsed management plan, the Friends in Nanikaai Community saw a successful joint inspection on May 12, 2025, an effort spearheaded by the Nanikaai Executive Committee in collaboration with the Monitoring, Control, Surveillance and Enforcement (MCS&E) and Community-Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) teams.

The inspection, targeting suspected illegal fishing within the Plan area, revealed several violations: some fishers used small mesh gillnets, others fished in the MPA, and undersized Ark shells were being harvested. The executive committee issued a final warning and conducted awareness outreach. The fisher using the illegal gillnet was instructed to use the correct mesh size in the future and sent back, while the undersized Ark shells were returned to the MPA.

Friends in Nanikaai Community Fisheries Management plan is a legal plan under the fisheries regulations, and that non-compliance cases will be dealt with by the village first and does have legal consequences. Therefore, a friendly reminder to everyone: let's all respect the rules and laws that safeguard the Friends in Nanikaai Community Fisheries Management Plan. Remember, the Marine Protected Area is a vital sanctuary and is off-limits to everyone.

Healthy Fisheries, Healthy I-Kiribati. Let us work hand in hand to protect our fisheries resources.