Latest news with #IUU
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Operation TUI MOANA 2025 Concludes With Strong Regional Coordination
Press Release – Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency The operation concluded on Friday 23 May 2025, with the successful participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. HONIARA, 27 MAY 2025 – Ten Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) took part in Operation TUI MOANA 2025 (OPTM25), a two-week regional operation targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across FFA Members' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and adjacent high seas areas within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) area. The operation concluded on Friday 23 May 2025, with the successful participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. A key highlight of OPTM25 involved the listing of nine vessels of interest (VOI), including one confirmed apprehension for suspected IUU fishing activities. Furthermore, a total of 76 fishing vessels were boarded – 30 in port and 46 at sea – with an additional 31 vessel sightings and 4,937 satellite detections recorded. FFA Officer in Charge of the Fisheries Operations Division, Jason Raubani, praised the collaborative efforts during OPTM25's final briefing. 'The success of OPTM25 highlights the continued strong regional cooperation that is in place, and the commitment to protecting the rights of Members and their valuable tuna resources.' He noted that follow-up investigations are already underway and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum through national enforcement efforts and regional coordination. Supporting the operation were the Pacific QUADs – Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United States – along with key monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) partners. A team of 29 national officers representing the participating Members, along with P-QUAD and partner personnel, were based at the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara throughout the operation. They coordinated real-time surveillance and intelligence efforts, directing surface and aerial patrols across the region. The RFSC team developed daily intelligence briefings using MCS tools and surveillance data, which were used to guide operations and inspections by national authorities and partner agencies. The operation also reinforced cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement, allowing joint action across maritime boundaries and information sharing.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Operation TUI MOANA 2025 Concludes With Strong Regional Coordination
Press Release – Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency The operation concluded on Friday 23 May 2025, with the successful participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. HONIARA, 27 MAY 2025 – Ten Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) took part in Operation TUI MOANA 2025 (OPTM25), a two-week regional operation targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across FFA Members' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and adjacent high seas areas within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) area. The operation concluded on Friday 23 May 2025, with the successful participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. A key highlight of OPTM25 involved the listing of nine vessels of interest (VOI), including one confirmed apprehension for suspected IUU fishing activities. Furthermore, a total of 76 fishing vessels were boarded – 30 in port and 46 at sea – with an additional 31 vessel sightings and 4,937 satellite detections recorded. FFA Officer in Charge of the Fisheries Operations Division, Jason Raubani, praised the collaborative efforts during OPTM25's final briefing. 'The success of OPTM25 highlights the continued strong regional cooperation that is in place, and the commitment to protecting the rights of Members and their valuable tuna resources.' He noted that follow-up investigations are already underway and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum through national enforcement efforts and regional coordination. Supporting the operation were the Pacific QUADs – Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United States – along with key monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) partners. A team of 29 national officers representing the participating Members, along with P-QUAD and partner personnel, were based at the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara throughout the operation. They coordinated real-time surveillance and intelligence efforts, directing surface and aerial patrols across the region. The RFSC team developed daily intelligence briefings using MCS tools and surveillance data, which were used to guide operations and inspections by national authorities and partner agencies. The operation also reinforced cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement, allowing joint action across maritime boundaries and information sharing.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Operation TUI MOANA 2025 Concludes With Strong Regional Coordination
HONIARA, 27 MAY 2025 – Ten Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) took part in Operation TUI MOANA 2025 (OPTM25), a two-week regional operation targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across FFA Members' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and adjacent high seas areas within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) area. The operation concluded on Friday 23 May 2025, with the successful participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. A key highlight of OPTM25 involved the listing of nine vessels of interest (VOI), including one confirmed apprehension for suspected IUU fishing activities. Furthermore, a total of 76 fishing vessels were boarded – 30 in port and 46 at sea – with an additional 31 vessel sightings and 4,937 satellite detections recorded. FFA Officer in Charge of the Fisheries Operations Division, Jason Raubani, praised the collaborative efforts during OPTM25's final briefing. 'The success of OPTM25 highlights the continued strong regional cooperation that is in place, and the commitment to protecting the rights of Members and their valuable tuna resources.' He noted that follow-up investigations are already underway and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum through national enforcement efforts and regional coordination. Supporting the operation were the Pacific QUADs – Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United States – along with key monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) partners. A team of 29 national officers representing the participating Members, along with P-QUAD and partner personnel, were based at the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara throughout the operation. They coordinated real-time surveillance and intelligence efforts, directing surface and aerial patrols across the region. The RFSC team developed daily intelligence briefings using MCS tools and surveillance data, which were used to guide operations and inspections by national authorities and partner agencies. The operation also reinforced cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement, allowing joint action across maritime boundaries and information sharing.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Why maritime borders are critical in India's national security thinking
A recent exercise by the Indian government revealed a sharp increase in India's length of coastline, which now stands at 11098.81 km, up from the earlier estimate of 7561.50 km. This rise is a result of a change of scale and in methodology since the last calculation of India's coastline in 1970. The sharp rise in the length of India's coastline raises a vital question, emphasising the need for continued attention towards India's maritime borders in context of framing national security priorities. While India's national security thinking seems to be dominated by the threats stemming from its territorial borders, there is a need to prioritise its maritime boundaries. For this, it is essential to re-imagine India as a maritime nation. Towards this end, the revised length of India's coastline serves as a critical reminder of how the multiple frontiers of India's geography continue to remain interlinked. A long history of territorial aggression from Pakistan and China has been greatly instrumental in shaping India's security thinking. Apart from this, India's security apparatus has had to grapple with the lingering problem of cross-border terrorism. The challenge of cross-border terrorism has again returned to the fore following the recent attacks in Pahalgam. However, given the maritime character of India's geography, a number of critical maritime security concerns ought to figure prominently in informing its national security thinking. Past experiences have demonstrated the criticality of the maritime frontiers in India's national security preparedness. Arguably, the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai have remained as a crucial reminder of how threats emerging from sea are deeply interlinked with territorial or homeland security. Additionally, a number of non-traditional security challenges pose grave risks for overall national security thinking. These include risks induced from worsening climate change resulting in rising sea levels, natural calamities such as cyclones, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, transnational blue crimes such as piracy, maritime terrorism, human and drug trafficking, as well as smuggling of illegal weapons into the country. Given these multifaceted challenges arising from the maritime frontiers, there is a critical need for India to strengthen its coastal security preparedness. A major fillip was accorded to India's coastal security after 2008, when the coastal security service – the Indian Coast Guard – was co-opted into the Indian Navy, aimed at enhancing synchronisation and synergy among the various arms of India's maritime services. While this served to enhance broader operational synergy, it also signals a critical effort to look at the multiple frontiers of India's geography in a continuum. Given that India's maritime and territorial homeland security are directly interlinked, the two frontiers must not be seen as divorced from one another. As such, the two complement each other and require a serious, systematic, and a synergised strategy. Arguably, the changing geopolitical order in the Indian Ocean has been a result of greater Chinese involvement in the region. China's growing political influence among the Indian Ocean littoral states has mounted a nuanced challenge for India. However, increasingly China has sought to send its research vessels into the Indian Ocean region, prompting increasing insecurity in India of potential growth of Chinese naval presence in the region. Furthermore, the worsening maritime environment in the Indian Ocean serves to provide additional impetus for India to rethink the priority accorded to its maritime borders. Interestingly, the revised length of India's coastline has also thrown up a critical reality of the diminished difference of India's territorial and maritime borders. According to estimates of home ministry, the length of India's territorial borders stands at approximately, 15106.7 km. While earlier estimates of India's maritime borders were almost half of its territorial borders, the revised length of 11098.81 km suggests that it is time to accord similar importance to its maritime frontier. As India navigates an increasingly complex security environment, the evolving realities of the multifaceted nature of security challenges must inform India's security thinking. Towards this end, India's security thinking ought to remain immune from falling into the trap of 'sea-blindness' in formulating its national security strategy. The revision of the length of India's coastline reveals the crucial reality of why maritime borders matter in its national security thinking. Sayantan Haldar is a Research Assistant, Maritime Studies at Observer Research Foundation. (Twitter/X: @sayantan_h) Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
CairoScene
11-05-2025
- Politics
- CairoScene
Saudi Arabia Joins UN Agreement to Combat Overfishing
Saudi Arabia has joined the FAO agreement to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has officially joined the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) agreement aimed at preventing, deterring, and eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The agreement strengthens the Kingdom's efforts to protect marine biodiversity and ensure global environmental sustainability. The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture will help combat illegal fishing while supporting local regulatory agencies in monitoring and tracking fishing vessels. The agreement also facilitates coordination between national authorities in charge of fisheries, the environment, and ports, and imposes strict penalties on national vessels involved in illegal activities. The agreement aims to improve international cooperation, provide technical support to developing countries to curb IUU fishing, and enhance global fishery management. It also prevents non-compliant vessels from entering ports or exporting products to international markets, further contributing to the protection of marine biodiversity.
