Twenty-one fisheries and police maritime enforcement officers from Tuvalu have completed a specialised Dockside Boarding and Inspection (DSBI) training, strengthening the country’s capability to carry out fisheries boarding, inspection and enforcement activities.
The week-long session was delivered under the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency’s (FFA) Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Strategy 2024–2029 following a request from the Government of Tuvalu under its Country Partnership Agreement (CPA) and the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement.
‘For Tuvalu, dockside boarding and inspection training isn’t just a regulatory checkbox—it is the front-line shield for our blue economy,’ said Saifoloi Talesi of Tuvalu Fisheries.
‘By turning our ports into absolute strongholds of compliance, we ensure that every tuna transshipped/landed is legally caught, accurately accounted for, and aligned with international, regional and national sustainability standards. The training reinforces our capability as a small island nation, to protect our oceans and its resources.’
Training focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of Tuvalu’s fisheries legislation, powers of authorised officers, licensing requirements and conservation and management measures, while building practical skills in boarding and inspection procedures, evidence collection and management, inspection reporting, vessel searches, field interviews and operational planning.
Participants also covered fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) data analysis, catch quantification, logsheet analysis, pre-boarding risk assessments, practical vessel inspections, post-inspection reporting, the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), standard operating procedures, inspection documentation and processes for requesting investigations by flag States.
Jointly delivered by FFA, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and Tuvalu Government PROPER. The programme brought together personnel from the Tuvalu Maritime Police and Tuvalu Fisheries Authority.
