News

News updates from the Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development.

Tobwaan te Mari: A New Era for Coastal Fisheries Licensing

Kiribati has reached a historic milestone in fisheries management with the official launch of the Tobwaan te Mari System on March 28, 2025, at KIFL in Ambo. This groundbreaking online platform is the first of its kind in the country and the region, enabling local and overseas exporters to process their coastal fisheries licenses more efficiently. The launching ceremony was attended by all exporters in Kiribati, Coastal Fisheries staff, and was officially opened by MFOR Secretary Riibeta Abeta. Special thanks to the Government of Kiribati and the PROP Project for their support in making this system possible. 

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Advancing Fisheries Management: Data Skills Training in Nadi

From 24–28 March, an officer from the Oceanic Fisheries Division had the privilege of attending the 2nd R Assistance Workshop at the Tanoa Skylodge in Nadi, Fiji, alongside participants from SPC member countries and territories.
Organized by SPC, the workshop focused on enhancing participants' skills in R programming, with a key objective of developing national Part 1 reports, essential for preparing annual tuna catch estimates submitted to the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
Beyond technical skill development, the workshop fostered collaboration and knowledge-sharing among fisheries officers, strengthening regional efforts in sustainable fisheries management.
Kiribati Fisheries extends its sincere appreciation to SPC for facilitating this impactful training and for its continued commitment to capacity building in fisheries across the Pacific.
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From Ocean to Opportunity: Seaweed & Tuna Processing Training

Two staff from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (Coastal Fisheries Division) and two from the UN FAO Ridge to Reef Project travelled to Butaritari for a two-week post-harvest training on making seaweed ice cream and tuna jerky. This training helps communities add value to marine resources for both household needs and business opportunities while promoting biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Facilitators are reaching every village on the island and will return next week. Ko rabwa UN FAO Ridge to Reef Project (GEF 5 STAR) for sponsoring this initiative from start to finish! 

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Shaping the Future of Community-Based Fisheries in Kiribati

The CBFM (Nei Tengarengare) team attended the Pathways Annual Reflection Meeting at ANCORS, University of Wollongong in Australia, alongside representatives from Kiribati, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. The meeting reviewed 2024's progress and shared insights to strengthen CBFM initiatives. The final two days featured a co-design workshop, refined priorities for the next five years, reinforcing commitments to food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. Collaboration within Coastal Fisheries Divisions remains important in ensuring that communities receive the necessary support for sustainable fisheries management as well as reaching the Ministry’s goal in ensuring a dynamic and sustainable ocean development opportunities for current and future generations of I-Kiribati. We sincerely thank the Australian Government, DFAT, and ACIAR for over 10 years of support in strengthening community-based fisheries management in Kiribati.

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