Honiara Summit 2025 kicks off with a call to accelerate efforts to achieve sustainable fisheries
By Fredrick Kusu
The Honiara summit 2025 kicks off in Honiara with a strong call for strong collaboration in accelerating the joint efforts to achieve sustainable fisheries.
Leaders, fisheries experts and stakeholders will in the 4 days summit take stock and seek ways to accelerate the implementation of SDG 14 through conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Joint dialogues during the summit will help foster collaboration and action to secure the future of fisheries in the Pacific.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said sustainable fisheries can only be achieved through working together at the national, regional and international levels.
“Regional cooperation is essential to ensuring the long term sustainability of fish stocks including struggling and highly migratory fish stocks and to ensure we optimize benefits arising from the sustainable use of these fish stocks.”
Prime Minister Manele told the summit that it is important to work collectively in the management of fish stocks.
He reminded the summit to strengthen dialogue in achieving SDG 14.4 by addressing over fishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing methods.
The Prime Minister said the outcomes of the summit are expected to reflect a progress report on SDG 14.4.1, the delivery of the SDGs, and solutions to address gaps in the implementation of SDG 14.4.
The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Ocean, His Excellency Peter Thompson said the summit provides an avenue to exercise solidarity and environmental stewardship towards ensuring the sustainability of the world’s fisheries.
“Here we are gathered in Honiara to exercise solidarity and environmental stewardship.”
“Specifically, we gathered here to examine the world’s implementation of SDG14, our universally agreed target of ensuring the sustainability of the world’s fisheries.”
The theme of the summit is ‘Iumi Tugeda Delivering on SDG14.4: Achieving Sustainable Fisheries’.
A declaration will be developed at the end of the session on Thursday.
This declaration will form part of the dialogue in examining the world’s efforts in achieving SDG 14 at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference which will be held in Nice, France in June, 2025.
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