A record number of 12 fishing vessels were detected in potential breach of license conditions during the annual multi-national maritime fisheries surveillance mission operation ‘Kuru Kuru’ held in Kiribati and Vanuatu.
AFMA officers recently participated in the compliance operation which took place between 15 and 24 October 2014 and covered tuna fishing grounds throughout the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. In total 114 vessels were boarded across an area of 30 million square kilometers covering many Pacific Island countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and adjacent high seas areas.
Five AFMA officers were deployed on to patrol boats and one AFMA officer worked with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) to coordinate activities from the land based Operations Centre in Honiara.
Operation Kuru Kuru is a coordinated maritime surveillance operation in which countries cooperate to detect illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities. The annual operation aims to foster regional monitoring, control and surveillance capabilities to enhance national food and economic security throughout the pacific through the sustainable harvest and management of tuna fish stocks.
This year participating counties included the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand, France and the United States.
This year’s operation focused on data collection and analysis including validating foreign fishing vessels’ reporting positions and sharing electronic satellite based vessel monitoring system data in order to pinpoint potential illegal fishing activity. Following on from the operation further work will be undertaken to implement effective national and regional surveillance strategies through increased regional cooperation.