Operation Island Chief conducts Surveillance across FSM, PNG, RMI, Nauru and Kiribati Waters
Press Release #0810-23
Palikir, Pohnpei – FSM Information Services
August 24, 2010
Palikir, Pohnpei: August 24, 2010 (FFA Regional Headquarters, Honiara, Solomon Islands) – This year's Operation Island Chief, a surveillance operation involving FSM, PNG, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and the US, coordinated by the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, ended yesterday with success in the region's activities to deter illegal fishing.

Over the past 7 days, Pacific patrol boats, US Coast Guard vessels and a US Navy aircraft have surveyed approximately 12,000,000 square kilometers of ocean, sighting numerous vessels and checking their compliance with a range of fisheries regulations.

Approximately 200 people were involved in the surveillance effort and 350 fishing vessels were monitored during the operation, 99 vessels were sighted and 20 boarded.  Two vessels were found to be apparently fishing in contravention of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission regulations and thus conducting illegal activity in the high seas.

Operation Island Chief 2010, involved aircraft and surface vessels from FSM, PNG, Palau, RMI, Kiribati and the US conducting surveillance and boarding operations in the participating Pacific Island Nations’ Exclusive Economic Zones and the surrounding high seas.

Pacific Patrol boats from all these nations complemented the surveillance by US Coastguard Cutters, Sequoia and Assateague, based in Guam and a P3C Orion surveillance aircraft provided by the US Navy based in Okinawa, to conduct patrols targeting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing vessels.  The US Coastguard vessels had Shiprider personnel from Palau and FSM embarked, which authorized them to conduct boardings within the EEZ’s of those member nations.  Officers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority also used the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in Pacific Patrol Boat operations by sailing with the FSM and Kiribati vessels.

Using satellite tracking of vessels and other data, the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre produces interactive maps of vessels in the region which can show vessels that might be engaging in illegal fishing or have a previous history of illegal fishing.  This increases the efficiency of surveillance operations and has led to several successes such as Operation Kurukuru 2009, and Operation Rai Balang 2010, where a number fishing vessels were boarded and apprehended and, in some cases, significant fines imposed.  For this operation the surveillance centre was complemented by personnel from the PNG Defense Force, PNG National Fisheries Authority and observers from New Zealand, United States and Australia.

Operations Officer and Coordinator of Operation Island Chief, Martin Campbell said: "During Operation Island Chief we have observed a significant reduction in the number of vessels conducting illegal activities. This is consistent with what the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre has been seeing for some time now.  It is clear that the concerted effort to continuously survey the regional waters is proving an effective deterrent to illegal fishing. Credit must also be given to the foreign fishing vessels which operate in the region, most of whom are abiding to their registration and license conditions, and the Pacific Island leaders who have created conservation and management measures."

 For more information, please contact the FSM Public Information Office by e-mail at fsmpio@mail.fm or at 320-2548.