The blue carbon project is one of the many projects that's implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources through the Coastal Fisheries Division in Kiribati. The project started in 2023- 2024 with the main goal to facilitate blue carbon and fisheries development in Kiribati.

As part of the project, this week a team from OFCF visited Kiribati to hold a joint committee meeting with the Ministry to discuss on the projects' achievements and areas for future collaborations in the area of blue carbon and its significance to the fisheries sector.

The OFCF team led by Mr Shimamoto Kunikazu, the Assistant to Managing Director of the Technical Cooperation Department, Mr Sugiyama Ryo, the Senior Officer of the Project Operation Division and the Ms Redford Kayako, the Interpreter have conducted a 2-day meeting with the Officer in Charge Mrs. Teue Baikarawa joined by the team from the Aquaculture Unit, CFD and the Planning and Development Division, in support of the project implementation.

'It is interesting to know the potential areas of research in this project which could provide capacity in country to look at skills in calculating the amount of blue carbon potential that is absorbed within our coastal ecosystems, in particular the seagrass beds' commented the OIC at her remarks and she further alluded the importance of this project activities with the contributions to aquaculture development in Kiribati.

The Ministry extends words of gratitude for the tremendous support of Japan OFCF in this area, including the provision of equipments and the technical support of Dr Ohashi who has been instrumental in his expertise in providing the transfer of knowledge to the hatchery staff.

The Ministry also wishes to applaud the team from the aquaculture unit for their continuous suport and perseverance for making this project successful in Kiribati.