Pacific Fisheries Agency Seizes Four Chinese-Indian Vessels During Cross-Border Enforcement

The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) launched its routine Kurukuru enforcement operation in early August across the Pacific Ocean. During the patrol, four vessels suspected of illegal fishing or of operating without valid permits were seized in the waters of Kiribati, Palau, and Papua New Guinea. Two of the seized boats were registered in China and the other two were Indonesian. This marks the first time this year that the FFA has simultaneously detained foreign fishing vessels in all three member states, indicating a steady intensification of regional surveillance.

Established in 1979 and headquartered in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, the FFA coordinates fisheries policies throughout the Pacific, safeguards migratory fish stocks—particularly high‑value species such as tuna—and ensures sustainable use that benefits developing countries. Its decision‑making body is the Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC), made up of 17 member nations, and it operates under the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP). Each year the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) directs Kurukuru missions, deploying patrol vessels and aircraft to inspect, sample, and collect evidence from vessels suspected of non‑compliance.

The current operation was focused on cross‑jurisdictional joint enforcement, combining maritime patrol, aerial surveillance, and an information‑sharing platform to intercept vessels believed to lack proper fishing licences or to exceed quota limits. All four seized boats were operating within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the host countries, as shown by their voyage data, and were unable to produce licences that complied with local regulations. Authorities questioned the captains and crew, and the violations have been forwarded to the customs and judicial authorities of each country for further action.

Kiribati’s Ministry of Fisheries said the seizure underscored the nation’s resolve to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and called on major distant‑water fishing powers such as China and Indonesia to strengthen cooperation and adhere to international fisheries