The Judicial Symposium 2025 opened on Wednesday in Honiara, bringing together Regional Chief Justices of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Photo: Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency
Justice experts and fisheries officials from throughout the Pacific are gathered in Honiara in Solomon Islands to discuss the importance of links between the two sectors.
According to the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), tuna fisheries is worth $2 to $3 billion per year in the national waters of its Pacific Island member nations.
The Judicial Symposium has the theme "Recent Developments in International Fisheries Law".
Solomons Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer told the delegates the meeting is a platform "to reinforce our collective responsibility, deepen our regional legal coherence, and inspire judicial innovation in the face of emerging environmental and legal complexities."
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office oversees a successful model of fisheries management. Photo: Facebook/PNA Tuna
FFA director general Noan Pakop highlighted the importance of strong judicial systems in protecting the Pacific's tuna fisheries.
He said "too often, discussions on fisheries management emphasise the roles of scientists or negotiators. But it is our courts that deliver rulings which not only resolve disputes but also create enduring legal precedent."
"The law is the compass by which we navigate the stewardship of our ocean. And our judiciary is the anchor that ensures our course remains just, consistent, and resilient."
Delegates are exploring key international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal and flag State obligations, enforcement challenges, responses to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and climate change.
The FFA said the Judicial Symposium is part of its long-standing commitment to support robust legal and institutional frameworks in the region.
