Samoa's Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries has picked out fish stock data and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) as critical areas that need to be addressed.

La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, in an address to China–Pacific Island Countries Forum on Fisheries Cooperation and Development in Nanjing Jiangsu Province on Wednesday 10 May 2023, said fisheries are a vital source of food and livelihood for the Pacific people.

However, there are issues currently facing the region's fisheries sector that need to be addressed and these include overfishing, illegal fishing, as well as climate change, which the Minister also said is putting "tremendous pressure" on island nations' fisheries resources.

"This is why this forum of ministers is so crucial to our success in fisheries management in all our countries and China. As you know, in the Pacific, cooperation between all countries is now a requirement for effective fisheries management for coastal and oceanic fisheries," Minister said. This is important as fish such as tuna and other pelagic fish, do not respect national boundaries, and they move freely across our EEZ [exclusive economic zones]. 

"To manage these resources sustainably, we have recognized that we must all work together to ensure that fishing is conducted in a responsible and equitable manner."

Turning to Samoa, La’auli said the Government has encouraged local fishers to cooperate, and as an example, pointed to the Commercial Fisheries Management Advisory Committee that promotes dialogue between authorities and fisheries sector representatives.

"This ensures we maintain a dialogue, to ensure fishers understand our current concerns, and vice versa. This allows all parties to stay informed on current and emerging issues in fisheries. 

"It was clear to Samoa very early that to promote fisheries sustainability, our communities, our fishers, and all stakeholders will need to establish good and clear communication pathways."

The Minister also called for cooperation in the sharing of scientific information on fisheries stock, which he said will be key to Samoa's success in harnessing the economic potential of the sector.

"We must have accurate and up-to-date data on fish stocks and their habitats to make informed decisions about how much and where to fish," La’auli said. "Sharing this information, with government agencies and between countries, and also with regional organizations will help us understand better, the health of fish populations and the impacts of fishing on our ecosystems."

The threat of IUU to Samoa's fisheries resources is another area, where cooperation in the enforcement of fisheries regulations is vital, according to the Minister.

"We must also cooperate in the enforcement of fisheries regulations. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) is a major threat to the sustainability of our fisheries resources," he said. "These issues can undermine all our efforts and threaten the livelihoods of those who depend on the oceans for food security and income."

La’auli said that by working together to combat IUU fishing, countries in the region will be able to protect their fish stocks and ensure that fishing is conducted legally and sustainably. 

"This inevitably improves the value of fisheries for everyone," he added. 

In February 2022, the Pacific Community [SPC] said the first attempt to quantify the value and volume of IUU fishing in tuna fisheries within the Pacific Islands region was undertaken in 2016 using data from 2010–2015 (MRAG Asia Pacific 2016). That study estimated the total volume of product either harvested or transshipped involving IUU activity in Pacific tuna fisheries was 306,440 tonnes, with an ex-vessel value of USD$616 million (SAT$1.6 billion).

The SPC added that the "authors of the study noted that the data and information underlying many of the estimates were highly uncertain and that the outputs should be seen as a 'first cut'." 

A statement released by the Chinese government said the China–Pacific Island Countries Forum on Fisheries Cooperation and Development and the China–Pacific Island Countries Forum on Tripartite Cooperation were held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province on 10 May 2023. Ma Youxiang, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, attended the opening ceremony and addressed both forums.