Written by MFOR Media on 03 February 2025.
This is the first time Kiribati Fisheries attended the training at the Pacific Fusion Center in Port Villa, Vanuatu from 20/01/2025 to 30/04/2025. The Pacific Fusion delivers training and strategic analysis against security priorities identified by Pacific Island Forum Leaders in the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security. This supports strengthening the strategic assessments for better decision-making addressing national security impacts on regional security: Human Security, Environmental and Resource Security, Climate Change Security and Cybersecurity. The PFC training/secondment program can play a crucial role in enhancing Kiribati's ability to manage its fisheries sustainably and secure its marine resources. This will not only ensure the long-term viability of its fisheries resources but also contribute to economic stability, food security, and sustainable development. By building capacity in areas like border security, intelligence-sharing, disaster response, and fisheries management, the program can help Kiribati navigate both local and global challenges effectively.
PNA Office Hosted MSC Trainers Workshop The PNA Office successfully hosted an MSC Trainers Workshop in Majuro, Marshall Islands, from January 20-25, 2025. Trainers from PNA member countries gathered to update training materials and observer forms in line with the latest Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification and PNA Chain of Custody (CoC) processes. PNA Secretariat emphasized the longstanding partnership with MSC highlighting the Secretariat's roles in managing the world’s largest sustainable tuna fishery under the MSC certification. Over the five-day workshop, participants refined observer's CoC forms, updated training materials and reviewed policy and procedural changes to align with current certification standards. This is to ensure national programs across the PNA membership comply with MSC requirements. The training is represented by the Oceanic Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Fisheries & Ocean Resources.
Written by MFOR Media on 30 January 2025.
Salt is one of the important ingredients for food, fish processing and other products. The MFOR has been working with an international solar salt company in France to establish the natural solar salt facilities and potential markets to value add this potential resource in Beru Island. The team from the Geoscience Division, owner and expert of the French Solar Salt company Mr Louis Merlin to progress this important solar salt value adding project in Beru Is, Nikunau Is, Kiritimati Is and other outer islands. The team visited the solar salt project sites in Beru and then followed by a thorough discussions on the necessary cost-effective steps for the production and marketing of value-added salts from these islands. The MFOR acknowledged the World Bank funded PROP project, FAO together with the French-based solar salt company for their financial and technical assistance throughout the various stages of this project.
Kiribati and Japan have a long and genuine bilateral relationship realized through on-going cooperation and aid assistance on several critical sectors including the fisheries. The delegation of Japan Embassy in Fiji and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan who oversee development cooperation visited the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, at it headquarters, Bairiki; to discuss future assistance. Japan aid has been instrumental to the fisheries sector as it provided fisheries equipment, ice-making machines, technical experts, fish collection vessel among other things. The delegation of Japan met the Secretary Riibeta Abeta and Senior MFOR officials to discuss priorities and needs for support from Japan in the next fiscal year 2025. The message conveyed to Japan delegation is that the assistance should target critical areas of investments in the fisheries sector including the small-scale canning facilities, dredger equipment to create more lands from the sea and many more. Kiribati acknowledged the people and Government of Japan for the genuine cooperation demonstrated through mutual trust and respect of each others' interests.
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