
In 2023, in Rarotonga –Cook Islands, our COO Marcelo Hidalgo had an initial conversation with Andrew Wright from SPC on how both organisations could collaborate in research to collect Oceanic data using FIA PNG fishing vessels members as platforms for doing it. Later in 2024, and after several remote meetings; this became a good proposal presented to FIA PNG members, explaining the benefits for the sector and the region. A strong concept, proposal, and benefits were developed by then to start with the joint research in 2025.

Last week, Our FIA PNG Sustainability and MSC Coordinator Alice Posanau and an SPC delegation started the project in Papua New Guinea, training skippers and installing equipment for data collection. Alice is leading the project in PNG with the National Fisheries Authority NFA and learning about Climate Change issues.
The team deployed in PNG comes from Scientists from the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea and the University of New South Wales in Sydney Australia (UNSW) that rolled out this program to collect new information on the ocean environment using local commercial tuna fishing vessels as Ships of Opportunity.
The program in PNG is being implemented in collaboration with the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and the Fishing Industry Association (FIA). Representatives of the groups met in Port Moresby on Tuesday to consider priorities and initiatives for the successful rollout of the program.
The impacts of climate change on the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) marine ecosystem are becoming evident in increased extreme weather events, including droughts and marine heatwaves, and the re-distribution of tuna stocks as a consequence of changing oceanic conditions. Leontine Baje, from the Pacific Community in Noumea, noted both have major implications for PNG. She noted ‘’Droughts and marine heatwaves have significant impacts on life on land and in the seas. Forecasting and projections for the availability of tuna in national EEZs with consequential implications for national economies dependent on income generated from their commercial tuna fisheries, and on local food security, is a second significant material impact.’’
Professor Moninya Roughan from the UNSW advised that data for the key oceanic environmental variables, particularly temperature and how it varies with depth, are critical to the ocean and meteorological modeling. She observed that ‘’This data is currently sparse for the WCPO. An increase in these observations will lead to significant improvements in the quality and confidence in oceanographic, meteorological, and fisheries forecasts and projections.’’
Mr Sylvester Pokajam, Chairman of the FIA, advised that these vessels in PNG are volunteering to collect this critical information. In this case, they effectively serve as Ships of Opportunity and are evidence of a significant contribution of the fishing industry to this critical research. He noted that this will significantly change the scope and quality of information available to climate scientists and ocean modelers. He added ‘’Subsequently, it will have profound implications for Pacific Island countries, including PNG, in terms of their weather-related disaster preparedness and improved management of local fisheries as tuna respond to changing oceanic conditions’’. Benthly Sabub, NFA’s Manager of tuna fisheries, reiterated the significance of the research to the future management of regional tuna fisheries. He said ‘’I hope the cooperation with industry in this endeavor serves as a positive example to the tuna industry operating in other Pacific Island countries to make similar contributions. The results are anticipated to benefit us all.’’
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