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News updates from the Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources.

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Protecting Kiribati Waters

The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR), representing the Government of Kiribati, was honored to host a high-level delegation from the United States Embassy this week.
Following their attendance at the Wa Forum (May 6th–7th, 2026), the U.S. delegation extended their stay to engage in strategic bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation. The meetings provided a critical platform to explore collaborative efforts across three primary pillars:
• Marine Scientific Research (MSR): Strengthening global knowledge sharing and streamlining MSR application processes.
• Deep-Sea Minerals (DSM): Identifying potential technical support and sustainable frameworks for mineral activity standards.
• IUU Fishing: Leveraging U.S. technological solutions to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing, ensuring the protection of sovereign waters and national food security.
• Engaging the Marawa Board to deliberate on strategic partnership opportunities for the advancement of deep-sea mineral exploration.
𝘒𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵.
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Practical Fisheries Training

The Coastal Fisheries Training and Information Unit (TIU) team successfully returned on 1 May, from a mission to Kiritimati Island conducted from 21 April to 1 May 2026.
This activity is one of CFD, MFOR’s 100 Days Priorities: launching milkfish deboning products developed by private sector partners with support from the Coastal Fisheries Division.
The mission was successfully completed with strong participation and support from private sector stakeholders, particularly restaurants and hotels in Kiritimati. The program included practical training on milkfish deboning techniques, followed by a launching event marking the adoption of this value-adding approach by stakeholders.
Participants carried out their own milkfish deboning and showcased a variety of cooked (value added) deboned milkfish recipes during the event. While mastering the technique requires time and practice, participants were able to learn all the important steps involved in the deboning process.
This initiative creates exciting opportunities for income generation and improved livelihoods in Kiritimati, particularly for private sector businesses and the wider community. By adding value to milkfish products through deboning, stakeholders can attract greater customer interest and demand while providing a safer, more convenient, and enjoyable product for tourists, children, and the elderly.
CFD sincerely acknowledges and appreciates the financial support provided through the PROP and Ridge to Reef (R2R) Projects, which contributed to the successful implementation of this activity.
Sincere gratitude is also extended to all stakeholders including the LINNIX and participants whose active involvement helped make the mission a success.
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Onotoa Fisheries Consultation

A 5- day trip to Onotoa concluded yesterday with the team from the Planning and Development Division, MFOR with a follow up discussions on fisheries projects with the Onotoa Island Council. The visit is purposely to discuss with the Mayor, Island Clerk and IDO from Onotoa on fisheries projects. The trip convened from the 5th May- 10th April, 2026 as a follow up consultation with Onotoa Island council on the new project to address the new establishment of a potential project for the Satellite fish center at Tabuarorae.
The project is part of the request to the Government to establish a new satellite center to be built at Tabuarorae village. The Ministry recognized the importance of this project in supporting livelihood diversification and providing cold storage systems to ensure safe and quality fisheries products. As part of the project, it is important to clear on the land acquisition which requires further follow with the island council. The team also has the opportunity to carry out a site visit to the proposed site, monitoring visit to the current fish center at Buraitan and follow up on the various projects implemented by the Ministry as part of the Outer island Monitoring and Evaluation work on fisheries projects. The Ministry acknowledges the support of the PROP WB for making this trip a successful for the PDD team to carry out this important assignment.
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Butaritari MSP Mission Success

Another successful Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) mission on Butaritari island was carried out from 26th April 2026 to 6th May 2026. Butaritari island is now the 7th island that the committee has visited to support the island’s marine spatial plan which has now been completed and has mapped out significant marine areas on the island. At the end of the mission and the vision was clear: “Unity in supporting Marine Spatial Planning for Butaritari through innovative methodologies and policies that strengthen legislation for safeguarding marine life for resilient livelihood, preserve and protect cultural heritage and sustainable developments in Butaritari.”
The members of the committee that successfully contributed to this mission are:
- 1 representative from Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK-MTCIC)
- 1 representative from Environment Conservation Division (ECD-MELAD)
- 2 representatives from Land Management Division (LMD-MELAD)
- 1 representative from National Statistics Office (NSO-MTCIC)
- 1 representative from Culture and Museum Division (CMD-MCIA)
- 2 representatives from Community-Based Fisheries Unit (CBFM-CFD-MFOR)
- 5 representatives from Geoscience Division (GSD-MFOR)
At last, other activities from the committee members involved with the marine space that were supported and completed during the mission and helped strengthen coordination within the committee included:
Drone flying and capturing high resolution and up-to-date aerial photos of Butaritari island
- Mangrove planting with youths and the community
- Land survey at Butaritari terminal
- Cultural mapping
- School vist at St Leo College
The committee expresses its gratitude to MFAT for funding this valuable mission and for supporting marine spatial planning as a tool to ensure coordination of marine activities for a better managed ocean and sustainable marine resources.
The committee extends its sincere appreciation to the Mayor and Island Clerk of Butaritari, all members of the Full Council including representatives from the youth, elders, and women groups, and the people of Butaritari for their active engagement, keen interest, and valuable contributions throughout the mission. Their strong participation greatly strengthened the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process and reflected the island’s commitment to sustainable marine management, cultural heritage, and future development aspirations.
The committee also acknowledges Butaritari’s strong and active marine resource management under the Community-Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) programme, which complements the MSP process through shared goals of sustainable resource use, ecosystem protection, local stewardship, and resilient livelihoods.
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