Sixteen vessels have been identified as vessels of interest and four apprehended in a major regional operation targeting illegal fishing and maritime crime.
The results came from Operation Island Chief 2026, a two-week regional fisheries surveillance operation coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) from 3 to 14 August.
The operation covered approximately 27.5 million square kilometres of Pacific waters and monitored more than 3,000 fishing vessels.
FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop said the 16 vessels of interest represented one of the higher numbers recorded in recent FFA-coordinated regional surveillance operations.
The vessels were identified through a combination of intelligence analysis, satellite monitoring, remote-sensing technology, aerial surveillance, surface patrols and vessel inspections.
āOperation Island Chief has again demonstrated the value of our collective efforts to detect and respond to IUU [illegal, unreported and unregulated] fishing,ā Pakop said.
He said IUU fishing remained a serious threat to the sustainability of the Pacificās valuable tuna resources.
āThe identification of 16 vessels of interest is a significant outcome from this operation,ā Pakop added.
He said the results demonstrated the growing ability of Pacific countries to identify suspicious activities across their vast ocean territories.
The operation involved aerial and surface surveillance across the Exclusive Economic Zones of 11 FFA members, as well as adjacent high-seas areas.
Participating countries included Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The operation had a strong operational presence in Solomon Islands, with the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre in Honiara serving as the main coordination centre.
Twenty-five secondees from participating FFA members were deployed to the centre during the operation.
They included officers from fisheries agencies, maritime units, navies and police services.
The officers worked alongside FFA specialists to monitor the regional surveillance picture, analyse intelligence and support national operations.
Solomon Islands officials also joined crews aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan aircraft for aerial surveillance of the Solomon Islands EEZ.
The operation also demonstrated the use of Pacific Quadrilateral Defence Coordination Group, or Pacific QUAD, capabilities to support fisheries enforcement.
In the Marshall Islands, national officers embarked on United States Coast Guard vessels to conduct fisheries patrols and boarding activities under their national authorities.
FFA said the arrangements strengthened the ability of Pacific countries to conduct coordinated surveillance and enforcement at sea.
Thousands of Vessels Monitored
The scale of Operation Island Chief was reflected in the amount of surveillance data processed during the two-week operation.
FFA said 10,884 satellite detections were analysed.
Authorities recorded 92 vessel sightings, while 133 vessels were boarded and inspected.
A further 45 vessel contacts received high-risk assessments for potential IUU fishing.
Sixteen vessels were subsequently identified as vessels of interest.
Four vessels were detained or apprehended.
Information on the vessels identified during the operation has been referred to relevant national authorities for further assessment and possible enforcement action.
FFA said vessels of interest were associated with suspected IUU fishing and maritime crime.
The operation brought together surveillance capabilities from Pacific countries and international partners.
Members of the Pacific QUAD – Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States – provided surveillance assets and operational support.
The operation also used FFA monitoring, control and surveillance systems.
Additional intelligence and technical support came from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, Pacific Community, Joint Analytical Cell, Global Fishing Watch, Hawkeye 360, Starboard and Canadian Dark Vessel Detection.
The combination of these capabilities allowed authorities to focus resources on vessels and activities considered higher risk.
FFA said this reflected the increasingly targeted nature of regional fisheries surveillance.
Operation Island Chief also provided an opportunity for Pacific fisheries and maritime officers to gain practical experience in regional surveillance.
The 25 secondees based at the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre worked with experienced FFA specialists throughout the operation.
The group included officers with extensive surveillance experience and others taking part in a regional operation for the first time.
FFA said the arrangement allowed members to share knowledge, build operational skills and strengthen cooperation.
The agency provides ongoing technical support and capacity development to FFA members in monitoring, control and surveillance, alongside regional systems for coordinated fisheries enforcement.
Operation Island Chief is part of FFA’s broader programme of regional surveillance operations aimed at enforcing fisheries rules and protecting the Pacific’s fisheries resources.
For Pacific island countries whose economies and food security depend heavily on healthy tuna stocks, the operation highlights the growing importance of regional cooperation, technology and intelligence in policing one of the world’s largest ocean areas.
