THE Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency-led OPERATION BIG EYE 2015 (OPBE15) aimed at curbing illegal fishing throughout the central and south Pacific, ended successfully, Friday.
This operation is one of a series of four monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) operations conducted in the region which FFA member countries are involved in.
BIG EYE, or its alternating equivalent ISLAND CHIEF, has been conducted annually for over ten years, representing an enduring commitment to the preservation of the regional tuna fishery.
The operation, from July 29 to August 7, encompassed the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and associated high seas of the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, the Republic of Palau, Papua-New Guinea, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
Five Pacific Class Patrol Boats from the participating nations, four patrol aircraft from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and a US Coast Guard Cutter also took part. Planning for OPBE15, which started over a year ago, coordinated surface and air surveillance across an area of operations covering 5.9 million square nautical miles (15.4 million square kilometres) of the Pacific Ocean.
On a daily basis, the FFA tracks 1200-1300 registered fishing vessels across this part of the Pacific via installed satellite tracking units, and displays them all on the Regional Surveillance Picture (RSP).
Relevant aspects of the RSP are then distributed to all of the FFA member countries.
During OPBE15, surveillance aircraft provided verification of the RSP, searching 1.02 million square nautical miles and detected 446 vessels through sensors such as radar, electro-optics and the Automatic Identification System.
Encouragingly, no unregistered fishing vessels were detected.
Additionally, both aircraft and deployed surface units physically sighted 110 fishing vessels.
Because of these sightings, 57 fishing vessels were boarded and inspected at sea, while local fisheries authorities in regional ports boarded another 56.
Because of these boardings one significant infringement and associated fine was assessed, indicating that regional efforts to monitor and ensure fisheries compliance are having a positive effect across the industry.
OPBE15 Operations Coordinator, Royal Australian Navy Commander Gavin Baker, RAN, stated that the operation had “proceeded extremely well given the poor weather being experienced across large parts of the area of operations, and the crews of both the participating ships and aircraft are to be congratulated for their dedication, particularly the crews of the aircraft directly monitoring the Fish Aggregating Device (or FAD) Closure who were required to be on station over the high seas at first light on several occasions.”
He also commended “the hard work and commitment of the participating National Headquarters, especially PNG and Palau, for providing consistent, high-quality reports to the RFSC throughout the operation, the fisheries boarding teams in Fiji for the outstanding job they have done, and the crew of RKS TEANOAI for their impressive tally of 33 boardings, 10 of which were in port.”
This year, as has been the case in the past, MCS experts from FFA member nations augmented FFA staff.
The augmentees this year were SBLT Paulino Yangitesmal from FSM, Ensign Siutaka Vi from Tonga, Senior Inspector John Dingley from Vanuatu, and SGT Sandrell Samson from PNG. Additionally, as part of the RFSC’s continuing efforts to increase its capabilities, a Fisheries Intelligence and Analysis Cell was again stood up.
This cell was led by FFA staff member Dennis Yehilomo, and supported by Principal Fisheries Officer Solomua Ionatana from Tuvalu, Lieutenant Helmar Lejanna from RMI, Senior Compliance Officer Arno Beckmann from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Lieutenant Bailea Mcmillen from the US Coast Guard. Additionally, Lieutenant Matt Guanci, also from the US Coast Guard, provided exemplary support to the operation as the RFSC’s Air Liaison Officer.
FFA Director-General, James Movick thanked and applauded all participants to the Operation.
“It is an undeniable indicator of the success of integrated MCS measures that pacific countries, our Quad partners and FFA have developed that despite such an intensive land and sea effort, no unregistered or unknown vessels were found.
What this shows is that the highly visible efforts of the Pacific are providing a demonstrable deterrence factor that, thankfully, sees dramatically less illegal fishing coming to the Pacific tuna fishery than other parts of the world.
Of course, IUU threats remain, largely in the form of illegal transhipment, underreporting and the influx of small vessels that target non-tuna species.
We must continue to expend every effort to maintain vigilance in the face of these threats and we cannot afford to let our guard down.”
– FFA Media
