Pacific Island Tuna Tripartite Meeting & Electronic Monitoring Workshop

From July 14–15, 2025, representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Papua New Guinea (PNG), Palau, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Pacific Island Tuna (PIT), the Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office (PNAO), and other regional consultants convened at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii for the Tripartite Pacific Island Tuna Workshop. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) was represented by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA), with Director Glen Joseph, Oceanic & Industrial Affairs Chief Fisheries Officer Mark Beau Bigler, Assistant Chief Dike Poznanski, and Legal Counsel Laurence E. Edwards II in attendance. The workshop focused on several key areas:

• Member Onboarding Progress – Review of PIT’s onboarding process, term sheets, and readiness assessments

• Strategic Partnership Strengthening – Enhancing collaboration among tripartite partners

• Work Stream Advancement – Updates and planning for four core areas: dockside offloading, in-region processing, electronic monitoring, and PIT development

• Governance and Project Management – Establishing frameworks for meetings and decision-making

• Financial Planning – Budget reviews and resource allocation discussions

The RMI reaffirmed its strong support for the Eastern New Britain Initiative (ENBi), particularly the following priorities: (1) Dockside Offloading, (2) 100% Electronic Monitoring, (3) Inshore Processing, and (4) Upscaling PIT. RMI also reiterated its commitment to the recently endorsed proposals at the 20th PNA Ministerial Meeting (PNAMIN20), including support for the Blue Pacific Fisheries Standard MSC++, PNA Tuna Cartel, and the closure of the Eastern High Seas Pocket as a precondition for EEZ access. Tripartite members agreed to hold monthly virtual intersessional meetings to monitor progress on work streams, with RMI welcoming FSM and PNG into the onboarding process and encouraging Palau to consider participation. The meeting also emphasized aligning fisheries development with market access opportunities in the U.S., such as Walmart and Costco.

The two-day EM Workshop in Honolulu reinforced a regional commitment to developing and implementing national electronic monitoring systems, with a target for full deployment by 2027. Participants prioritized deep strategic planning and discussed the financial sustainability of EM programs. Key topics included:

• Cost Recovery & Benefit Analysis – Drawing on studies from 2016, 2018, and 2021 to inform financial models
• New Cost Estimation Tool – Introduction of a tool to project EM costs based on program parameters
• Focused Strategic Discussions – Streamlined presentations enabled in-depth dialogue on implementation strategies

 The workshop concluded with alignment on a shared path forward—ensuring that national EM systems are both financially feasible and operationally sustainable in the long term.