BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Chief Justice of Solomon Islands Sir Albert R. Palmer opened the Judicial Symposium 2025 at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Conference Centre in Honiara yesterday.
The three-day Judicial Symposium is being co-hosted by the Solomon Islands National Judiciary and FFA and will conclude on Friday, 20 June.
This conference has brought chief justices, high court judges and international fisheries legal experts to strengthen the understanding of legal developments impacting fisheries management at national, regional and global levels.
The theme for the meeting is “Recent developments in International Fisheries Law”.
In his opening remarks, Chief Justice Sir Albert R. Palmer extended his sincere appreciation to overseas delegates and guests for taking time out of their demanding schedules to attend the important vision of the symposium.
“As co-host of the Department of Forum’s Agency, I am honoured to join the Director-General and on behalf of the government and people of the Solomon Islands warmly welcome every one of you to our shores,” said Sir Palmer.
He said the gathering is indeed a rare privilege; bringing together some of the finest naval minds from across the Pacific to deliberate on one of the region’s most critical assets.
“Our shared fisheries and marine resources. We are nations united not just by diplomacy but by geography, linked together by the vast Pacific Ocean that surrounds and sustains us. Such progress in communication and transportation has changed how we relate to one another and it must also shape how we manage and conserve our ocean resources before they are depleted beyond repair,” he said.
“It is therefore with a sense of both honour and responsibility that I welcome you to this symposium; an opportunity for regional and national leaders to come together in commitment for the sustainable governance of our marine resources,” he said.
Sir Palmer said the Pacific Ocean covers nearly one-third of the Earth’s surface and for the Pacific, it is not only a source of economic reliability and food security but also a cradle of cultural identity.
“Yet it is also a legal frontier, requiring operative stewardship and sophisticated legal frameworks to manage its complexity. As judicial officers, your work is integral to translating international commitments into national laws and enforceable judicial decisions; ensuring the principles of sustainability, fairness and equality are meaningfully applied across all jurisdictions.
The chief justices in attendance include Honourable Chief Justice Sir Albert R. Palmer, Chief Justice of Solomon Islands, Honourable Chief Justice Tetiro Mate, Chief Justice of Kiribati, Honourable Chief Justice Daniel N. Cadra, Chief Justice of the Marshall Islands, Honourable Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese, Chief Justice of Samoa and Honourable Chief Justice Sir John Baptist Muria, Acting Chief Justice of Tuvalu.
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