In the Pacific, there are communities and people deeply connected to the sea, where stories of resilience and adventure fill every wave. Among them is Mr. Francisco Blaha, who started his journey on fishing vessels at just 18 years old and has since become a seasoned advocate for fishermen's rights.

Venturing into the Pacific as a migrant fisherman in 1991, Mr. Blaha spent four years navigating different vessels without formal contracts or immigration ties, a practice he found…

The half-day consultation on gender-based violence in fisheries concluded yesterday afternoon with fruitful discussions. Representatives from various GBV networks, national fisheries and women's affairs agencies, regional organisations, environmental and civil society organizations, and the fishing industry participated.

The consultation was comprehensive, focusing on identifying needs and gaps to understand the relevance of GBV in the fisheries sector, from large-scale commercial…

Eria Rurunga, a current IT business owner, is embarking on a new journey by expanding his entrepreneurial ventures into the seafood industry. At 35 years old, Eria, who owns E-Tech Solutions, a small computer repair business, is now eager to establish Seafood E-Makete, an online platform dedicated to seafood trading in Kiribati.

While holding the position of IT Manager at the Ministry of Lines and Phoenix Islands on Kiritimati Island, Eria identified the opportunity to blend his…

During the peak of the pandemic, Ioanna Taraia found herself stranded in Fiji, where she not only managed to undertake but also successfully complete two vital training programs. This came at a crucial moment, as Pacific communities and families were growing increasingly reliant on the ocean for both sustenance and income

Ioanna Taraia is the first I-Kiribati woman to hold both the Micro-Qualification in Establishing and Operating a Small Seafood Business and the Micro-Qualification…

In the island of Samoa, where the winds carry tales of resilience, Davina Bartley and Moli Iakopo emerged as beacons of change, armed with the knowledge acquired through the USP Pacific European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) project funded Certificate 4 in Resilience (Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction). Their stories depict empowerment, growth and transformation.

The USP PEUMP project is supported by the European Union and the Government of Sweden.

Davina…

Nuku’alofa, Tonga -– The Pacific Community (SPC) through the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) programme, spearheaded a Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Training at the Tanoa Hotel, Nuku’alofa in Tonga from 22 to 24 August 2023. The training involved officers from the Ministry of Fisheries, Tonga and aimed at applying gender equity and social inclusion lenses in fisheries with a focus focussing on coastal fisheries working with the Special Management Areas programme.

11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day focuses on the vital role of gender equality in science, for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The PEUMP programme has adopted a human rights-based approach with a strong focus on gender equality. As such, the USP PEUMP component reflects this via the capacity-building initiatives and support it offers such as the…

To reduce mortality of by-catch and endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) species mortality and encourage safer by-catch handling in Fiji's offshore fishing industry, 54 by-catch mitigation toolkits have been distributed to Fiji Fishing Industry Association (FFIA) member longline fishing vessels.

The supply of the by-catch mitigation toolkits was supported by the By-catch and Integrated Ecosystem Management (BIEM) Initiative implemented by SPREP under the Pacific-European Union…

In Vanuatu the SPREP-led BIEM Initiative (KRA5 of PEUMP) is supporting Biodiversity Rapid Assessments (BIORAP) in the provinces of Malekula and Pentecost. Photographs and video are essential not only to record the work being done, but to document community views and share stories further afield.

Few national projects, however, have the luxury of a professional photographer accompanying project teams on fields visits. Even if there is no shortage of funds, logistics and timing can…

The BIEM Initiative, KRA 5 of PEUMP, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) supported a collaboration between World Wide Fund for Nature Pacific (WWF-Pacific) and the Fiji National University’s Fiji Maritime Academy (FMA) to provide certification training to fishing crew in Fiji’s longline tuna industry.

Graduates of the month-long course received certification to serve on board a fishing vessel as a deck hand. Through the project “…