A new report highlighted concerns with IUU fishing which degraded ocean sustainability and fisheries crimes in Pacific Island countries
Pacific Island countries are concerned with security in national and regional domains, especially in the maritime domains, according to a report of the Pacific Regional Law Enforcement Conference report released recently.
The report highlighted concerns with Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing which degraded ocean sustainability and fisheries crimes, which is the use of the fishing sector to commit other crimes like trafficking of humans, drugs and weapons for example.
“You can have the best technology in the world, the best mapping systems in the world but if you are unable then to place it in the local context of local information, local adaptation or contextualisation with capability to project it and act upon that information locally when it matters, then your latest guiding systems in the world are not really relevant,” James Movick, Director, Pacific Fusion Centre said.
The report of the Nadi conference held in August said the maritime domain was crucial for Pacific goods transit, resource management, food security and cultural stewardship and as such, improved awareness of the maritime domain would be a significant improvement in the ability of Pacific law enforcement to identify and address transnational organised crimes risks
At the conference, participants raised the critical role of fisheries, due to both the broader implications of fisheries crime and the use of the fishing sector as a vector to commit other crimes like trafficking of humans, drugs, and weapons.
And whilst maritime domain awareness had been acknowledged as central to disrupting transnational organised crimes, the trend of distant water fishing nations pressuring Pacific Island Countries to disengage from pursuing legal restitution for vessels impounded as a result of illicit fishing has made the issue far more complex.
“At the Pacific Islands Commissioners of Police (PICP) regional coordination level – and given ongoing emerging threats such as climate change – our challenge is to ensure assistance cascades across the region. We need to ensure our collaboration and networking and high connectivity with each other is complemented by access to high-level information and technology platforms and tools.” PICP Chair, Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho.
