Operation Island Chief 2025 (OPIC25), part of the ongoing programme of surveillance and monitoring operations to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across the Pacific, has concluded after running 4-15th August.
‘Operation Island Chief demonstrates the value of collective regional action. The intelligence, surveillance and enforcement support provided by our partners, from government agencies, and commercial operators, gives our members the reach and capability needed to safeguard Pacific fisheries,’ said FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop, commenting that while the majority of fishing vessels monitored were found to be compliant, the success of the operation lies in its deterrence effect and its ability to scrutinise activities that may threaten the region’s fisheries.
Held by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), OPIC25 demonstrates the strength of collective regional action in safeguarding tuna fisheries and involves 13 FFA Members – Cook Islands, Federal States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
National operations were coordinated through the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) in Honiara, where 32 secondees and partners from these Members and regional partners worked together alongside QUAD partners Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America and France, supported by regional organisations and international donors.
Eight surface patrol assets and six aircraft were deployed for the operation that had a total of 100 boardings, including 53 in port and 47 at sea. An additional 100 vessel sightings were recorded, and 12 vessels of interest were identified. Four historic cases were successfully closed in Kiribati, while several high seas transhipments were detected and are now under further investigation to determine compliance with notification requirements.
Regional organisations also played a contributing role in OPIC25, with Global Fishing Watch and the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (IMCS) Network, The Pacific Community (SPC), Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) providing valuable expertise and data support. Their work was complemented by commercial partners Starboard Maritime Intelligence, HawkEye360 and Maxar Technologies, which supplied tools for monitoring and analysis.
Additional backing from donor governments including Australia and Canada further reinforced the operation’s ability to extend surveillance coverage across the region.
