Nice, France – At a time when global leaders are searching for answers to safeguard the world’s oceans, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele delivered a firm and hopeful message at the Third UN Ocean Conference: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are not merely calling for help—they are already delivering solutions.
Speaking, Wednesday, on behalf of the 39 member countries of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) at the Ocean Action Panel on fostering sustainable fisheries management, Prime Minister Manele reminded delegates that for small island nations, fisheries are far more than an economic sector.
They are central to livelihoods, food security, identity, and culture. With ocean areas making up more than 95 percent of their national territories, and SIDS collectively managing around 30 percent of the world’s Exclusive Economic Zones, these states rely on healthy oceans to survive and thrive.
Prime Minister Manele highlighted that SIDS are leading by example. He pointed to the Honiara Summit on SDG 14.4, hosted by Solomon Islands earlier this year, which brought together leaders to confront urgent challenges in fisheries management.
The summit reaffirmed the need for immediate action on overfishing—affecting 37.7 percent of global fish stocks—and called for stronger regional cooperation through fisheries bodies and increased support for small-scale fisheries.
He also emphasised that SIDS are integrating fisheries into climate action plans. The Pacific region, he said, supplies more than 50 percent of the world’s tuna, demonstrating how sustainable practices, traditional marine management systems, and modern science can work together to achieve global impact.
Despite limited resources, small island states are proving they can be effective stewards of the ocean.
However, the Prime Minister warned that these efforts are being undermined by three escalating threats. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is robbing coastal states of up to $23 billion annually and weakening existing sustainability measures.
Climate change is altering fish distributions, disrupting ecosystems, and deepening uncertainty for communities who depend on stable ocean resources.
And capacity constraints continue to limit the ability of SIDS to scale successful local management models.
He reminded the international community that while SIDS are committed to conservation, the principle of equity in global agreements must be respected—conservation measures should not impose disproportionate burdens on small island nations already grappling with multiple stressors.
Calling for urgent and concrete support, Prime Minister Manele urged partners to move beyond declarations and invest in proven SIDS-led solutions.
He called for stronger monitoring and enforcement to tackle IUU fishing, increased and targeted financing for small-scale fisheries and climate-resilient infrastructure, and global recognition of the integrated approaches developed by SIDS that combine traditional knowledge with science and cooperation.
“As we say in Solomon Islands Pidgin—iumi tugeda—we are together,” said Prime Minister Manele. “We are all connected by—and across—the ocean. We have drawn benefits from it for generations.
“Our responsibility is to manage this resource wisely, so future generations can enjoy it as we have. Iumi tugeda for sustainable fisheries. Iumi tugeda for future generations.”
