Fourteen Pacific Island countries have received a USD 156.8 million (EUR 145.6 million) grant to respond to tuna stock shifts caused by climate change.
The funding comes from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which has pledged USD 107 million (EUR 99.4 million) toward the project, with the rest of the total coming from co-financing.
The grant was secured by Conservation International and the Pacific Community (SPC), a research-backed sustainable development coalition in the region and will be implemented by SPC with the support of its local partners, including the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and Australia’s Commenwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
The 14 island nations include the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Recent research by the SPC and Conservation International has predicted that ocean warming will push tuna stocks away from the islands’ maritime zones and into international waters.
Tuna fishing is an economic driver and source of food security for all of the nations, which rely on the industry to support tens of thousands of jobs and provide healthy protein options.
Mona Ainu’u, Niue's minister for natural resources, said that the goal of the funding program is to support the Pacific’s Small Island Devloping States (SIDS) as they prepare for the upheaval the SPC and Conservational International research has predicted.
“This landmark funding ensures our communities can continue relying on tuna as an essential source of food, revenue, and cultural value,” she said. “By adapting now, we can protect our people’s livelihoods and strengthen our resilience to climate change.”
A joint press release from Conservation International, SPC, and the GCF said that climate-driven tuna stock shifts could, by 2050, amount to a collective loss of USD 40 million to USD 140 million (EUR 37 million to EUR 130 million) annually for the island nations.
"The funding will provide the necessary tools to develop and support adaptations by Pacific Island nations that maintain the economic benefits they receive from tuna today," the release said.
These improvements include the adoption of fish aggregating devices (FADs) which will “not only improve the chances that communities will catch more tuna but also reduce fuel use because boats do not have to keep following fast-moving tuna,” SPC Principal Fisheries Advisor on Coastal Fisheries Management and Livelihoods Ian Bertram said “[FADs] also improve safety at sea by providing known destinations for fishing trips and can broaden fisheries livelihood opportunities.”
Jack Kittinger, the senior vice president at Conservation International, added that the grant is an “investment [that] will secure the region’s position as a leader in tuna fisheries management while highlighting the urgency of global climate action.”
“These countries are least responsible for climate change, and they have long stewarded this vital resource with great care," he said. "Now, they have the financing to continue doing so.”
