The Honourable Minister Ribanataake Tiwau met with the new SPC Director-General, Dr. Paula Vivili, and his delegation today, 11th February 2026 at the MFOR Headquarters in Bairiki, Tarawa. Honourable Minister Tiwau congratulated DG Dr. Vivili on his recent appointment and thanked him for choosing Kiribati as an early visit after assuming his role. This gesture underscores the Director-General's personal commitment to engaging directly with member states and understanding their unique priorities firsthand.

The Minister's message was clear: Kiribati's vision is to evolve from a fisheries resource-owner into a fully participatory fishing nation, actively engaging across the entire seafood value chain.

Director-General Vivili thanked the Honourable Minister and his team for the warm welcome and reiterated the SPC’s support for Kiribati’s priorities in fisheries and ocean governance.

Following the meeting, DG Dr Vivili and his delegation visited key facilities, including the Kiribati Fish Limited tuna processing plant, finfish and sea cucumber hatcheries, the Coastal Fisheries Division Office and the floating fish cage platform in the Tarawa lagoon.The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR) acknowledged the SPC’s continuous technical support over the years and looks forward to further strengthening and deepening this collaboration under DG Dr. Vivili’s new leadership.