A second surveillance operation in the Pacific Islands region is being called a success, after nearly three dozen vessels were suspected of engaging in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Named Operation Kurukuru 2010, the initiative involved the United States, Australia, New Zealand and France. The area under surveillance covered 12 million square kilometers and involved 840 hours of sea patrols and 120 hours of air surveillance.
The Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) enlisted 550 people who identified 185 vessels operating in the region, with 35 of those vessels warranting further investigation. One vessel was found to be carrying an excess of sharks fins and was fined USD 10,000 (EUR 7,330) by authorities.
Operation Kurukuru 2010 was coordinated by a team based in the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) Operations Room in Honiara, Solomon Islands, established by the FFA with funding from the Australian Defence Cooperation Program. The team consisted of FFA staff and officers from Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Australia’s Customs and Border Protection Command.
“The successful outcomes of the operation speak for themselves and send a strong message to all fishing vessels, which enter this region [knowing] that they are being closely monitored and any illegal activity will be swiftly dealt with,” said the FFA’s Martin Campbell, who’s commanding the operation.
In a subsequent meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, Peter Graham of the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources said by “cooperating and drawing on collective strengths we are more likely to achieve our sustainable development aspirations.”
“Everyone has something to contribute,” he said. “Fisheries are a significant cornerstone for the economic future of the Pacific Islands. This work is critical. Some of our participants are the smallest of small-island developing states in the Pacific region, and it’s vital that their development rights and interests are protected and are able to be realized.”
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