Pacific Island countries have demonstrated the power of regional cooperation in protecting the region’s valuable fisheries resources following the successful completion of Operation Tui Moana 2026 (OPTM26), a three-week coordinated fisheries surveillance operation spanning vast areas of the Pacific Ocean.
Led by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the operation brought together fisheries, maritime and law enforcement personnel from across the region to strengthen efforts against IUU fishing and other transnational maritime crimes. Operation Tui Moana involved the participation of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu, with support from Pacific Quad (P-QUAD) partners Australia, New Zealand, France and the United States, alongside regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) partners.
Operation Tui Moana covered the EEZs of ten Pacific Island countries and adjacent high seas areas within the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, combining maritime patrols, aerial surveillance, intelligence analysis and compliance monitoring to identify and deter potential fisheries violations.
During OPTM26, authorities conducted 61 vessel inspections at sea and in port and verified more than 200 vessel detections across the area of operation. Intelligence and surveillance activities also identified four vessels of interest and led to two apprehensions linked to suspected fisheries-related offences, including concerns involving vessel monitoring system (VMS) non-reporting, unauthorised bunkering and transhipment activities, and logsheet reporting compliance. Investigations and enforcement actions remain ongoing under national and regional processes.
‘As we conclude Operation Tui Moana 2026, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all Members, partners and everyone who contributed to the success of this multilateral operation. Over the past three weeks, we have once again demonstrated the strength of regional solidarity and collective action in protecting our fisheries resources and strengthening the Pacific’s fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing and other associated transnational crimes,’ said FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop, highlighting the strength of Pacific solidarity and the region’s shared commitment to safeguarding its ocean resources
‘Operation Tui Moana 2026 has been a powerful demonstration of intelligence-led, cooperative fisheries surveillance in action across a vast area spanning 10 Exclusive Economic Zones.’
Participating countries received daily intelligence briefings, risk assessments and vessel activity analyses, supported by satellite monitoring and remote sensing technologies that enabled authorities to detect and track potentially suspicious activity in near real-time.
At the heart of OPTM26 was the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara, where 21 secondees from Member countries, partner agencies and MCS organisations worked side by side to coordinate intelligence gathering, operational planning and surveillance activities throughout the three-week deployment.
Operational assets included six Guardian Class Patrol Boats from participating Pacific Island countries, supported by the United States Coast Guard and French Navy. Aerial surveillance missions were conducted with assistance from the Australian Defence Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, United States Coast Guard and regional surveillance aircraft operating under bilateral fisheries surveillance arrangements.
Operation Tui Moana is a core component of FFA’s regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) programme and is implemented under the Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Strategy. The Operation also strengthened cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA) through coordinated surveillance activities, joint boarding exercises and enhanced intelligence sharing among participating countries.
