News

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

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Secretary Abeta Hosts Live and Learn Team at MFOR

A productive discussion on areas of future collaboration was held today, 12 February 2026, at the MFOR Headquarters in Bairiki between Secretary Riibeta Abeta of the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources and the team from Live and Learn Kiribati. Live and Learn is a reputable and recognized NGO operating across many Pacific Island countries. The organization has a small office in Tarawa and supports grassroots communities on critical issues such as food security, climate change, and marine resource management, among others, in close collaboration with Government agencies. There are exciting areas of shared interest between Live and Learn and MFOR, including Marine Spatial Planning for Islands, which warrants further engagement and partnership in the future. MFOR acknowledges the team from Live and Learn for their active work with the communities of Kiribati and looks forward to future collaborations.

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Minister Tiwau Welcomes New SPC Director-General to Kiribati

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.
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MFOR Teams Monitor Reef Fish Toxicity on Abaiang Island

A team of three MFOR staff recently completed their second ciguatera monitoring visit to Abaiang Island from 1st to 8th February. The initial phase of this work was conducted in 2025 for the three main villages Tabontebiki, Ewena and Takarano. Analytical results for these sites have been shared with the Mayor,Vice Mayor, island clerk and other fishermen for their information and safety.
It is significantly important that an ongoing monitoring of these sites will be carried out to assess the level of toxicity from time to time to ensure that reef fish species harvested and distributed to local markets are safe for the public. Furthermore, during the monitoring activity there are 20 reef fish species were collected and labelled and ready to be sent to Cawthron laboratory for ciguatera testing.
MFOR team sincerely acknowledge the strong support of the Island Mayor and Clerk, the local fishermen from the selected villages, and extend their appreciation to the World Bank (WB) through the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP) for funding this important activity.
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Kiribati Representatives Complete WOAH Animal Disease Training in Malaysia

The Animal Disease Notification training held in Malaysia from February 2nd to 5th, 2026, has successfully concluded. This training aimed to familiarise non-member countries, particularly those in the Pacific island region, with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and to highlight its role in global animal health governance.
On the first day, participants engaged in a comprehensive session that covered the fundamental roles and responsibilities of WOAH. They gained insights into how membership can enhance their national veterinary and aquaculture services, improve animal health outcomes, and facilitate international trade in animal products. The next three days focused on the WOAH reporting system, known as the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). Trainers demonstrated its functionalities and benefits, enabling focal points from Veterinary and Aquaculture Centres of the participating countries to understand how to effectively utilise this system for reporting and managing animal health data.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) administered this training with funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the People's Republic of Japan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Australian Aid, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of the Australian Government. We extend special thanks to our donors who made this training possible, and to the organisers for allowing Kiribati to have two representatives. We also express our gratitude to the PROP and the Government of Kiribati for providing funding support for the second representative.
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