Nice, France – Solomon Islands Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Hon. Bradley Tovosia, told world leaders at a UN Ocean Conference side event on Wednesday that protecting aquatic food systems is not just good policy — it’s a matter of survival for Pacific communities.
Speaking at the high-level CGIAR and WorldFish event, “Leveraging Aquatic Food Systems to Restore Oceans – Good for People, Good for Planet,” Hon. Tovosia said sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are not aspirations but a lifeline for his people.
On behalf of the Solomon Islands Government, Minister Tovosia painted a vivid picture of a nation whose identity, nutrition, and resilience are deeply connected to the ocean.
With fish as the primary source of protein for the country’s 700,000 people—over 85% of whom live in rural areas—the stakes are high as climate change intensifies.
“Rising seas, bleaching reefs, shifting tuna stocks — our communities are already feeling the pressure. When disaster strikes, it’s our coastal fisheries that keep people fed. But now, those safety nets are fraying.”
Minister Tovosia highlighted the Solomon Islands’ Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM) approach as a model for the world—a grassroots strategy that empowers Indigenous communities to manage marine resources using traditional knowledge alongside modern science.
The government’s 2021–2025 Community-Based Coastal and Marine Resource Management Strategy supports communities with training, facilitation, and planning tools.
It is backed by the Fisheries Management Act, which enables communities to formalize and enforce their own fisheries management plans. Social protection mechanisms are integrated to build resilience and support sustainable practices.
“We are not waiting for solutions to come from somewhere else. We are acting — and our communities are leading the way. But we cannot do this alone. Climate change, illegal fishing, biodiversity loss — these are global threats, and they require a global response.”
The event also marked 40 years of partnership between WorldFish and the Solomon Islands, spotlighting the new Nusatupe Innovation Hub — a beacon of sustainable island food systems rooted in Pacific culture, collaboration, and innovation.
Minister Tovosia joined leaders from Canada, France, Indonesia, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire in pledging continued support for sustainable ocean solutions ahead of the next phase of the UN Ocean Decade.
“The ocean does not separate us — it connects us. And it’s time we act together to protect it.”
