Honouring World Tuna Day 2026

A Message from the Hon. Minister Ribanataake Tiwau and the Team at the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR)

Warm greetings to you all on this day, 2nd May 2026.

Today marks World Tuna Day – a global occasion dedicated to recognizing the vital role tuna plays in biodiversity, food security, and economic development worldwide.

For Kiribati, tuna is more than a resource. It is our daily bread and butter. It shapes who we are. It is our strength, and it is our future.

Each year, MFOR mobilizes large-scale events throughout the month of May to honor the deep significance of tuna to our nation. This year, we have organized several key initiatives to celebrate World Tuna Day 2026, as outlined below:

1. Te Wa Forum with Partners – A high-level gathering to discuss the future development of Kiribati's tuna industry.

2. Naming of Closed-Door Bilateral Meeting Rooms – In honour of tuna's importance, our bilateral meeting rooms will be known as the Bigeye Room, the Yellowfin Room, and the Skipjack Room. Within these rooms, critical decisions and commitments will be made to shape the future of Kiribati's tuna fisheries.

3. Special May Fishing Competition – Organized and sponsored in partnership with the Kiribati Sports Fishing Club, this competition honors both World Tuna Day and Te Wa Forum.

4. Landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SPC and Technical Partners – Kiribati is proud to be the first Pacific Island Country to sign this MoU, launching a new US$156.8 million Regional Project funded by the Green Climate Fund. The project, "Adapting Tuna-Dependent Pacific Island Communities and Economies to Climate Change," begins implementation in May 2026. This expedited achievement and start date of our implementation was carefully engineered by the MFOR team as a dedicated gift for World Tuna Day 2026.

5. Lastly, MFOR will erect a large Tuna Sculpture at Tanobakoa site, Ananau causeway for the public to enjoy from next week.

Our sincere thanks go out to all our communities and partners for your continued and invaluable support to MFOR.

Happy World Tuna Day, everyone.