Professor Quentin Hanich and Constance Rambourg attended the pre-FFC week, held in the lead-up to the 138th Annual Officials Meeting of the Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) in Alofi, Niue. From the 6th to the 9th of May, 80 officials and delegates from the 17 Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) attended a series of pre-FFC meetings, preparing for the formal meeting in the following week. These meetings discussed a range of critical topics, including; climate resilience strategies; a review of the FFA’s performance; regional and subregional priorities; as well as cooperation under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA).
During this pre-week, Constance and Quentin convened a short workshop that discussed a new ANCORS research project funded by the Australian Research Council, titled Law and Policy Frameworks for Remote Sensing in Maritime Enforcement, and led by Professor Stuart Kaye. This project aims to assist the development of essential legal and policy frameworks, as well as build the domestic capacity needed for FFA members to effectively utilise remote sensing technologies (RSTs) in enforcing fisheries laws and regulations within their maritime jurisdictions. The workshop provided an opportunity to present the project’s goals, timelines, and intended outcomes to FFA delegates and officials. Members were invited to provide feedback and explore further collaboration from interested potential partners, fostering opportunities for continued engagement and development. On the sidelines of the FFC pre-week, Constance and Quentin also met with Niue government officials and FFA members to discuss the project and prioritise the research focus and outputs.
Following the conclusion of the FFC pre-week, Constance and Quentin attended an exciting presentation of Niue’s innovative approach to ocean management and conservation financing, before Constance flew home and Quentin remained to advise the Government of Niue on its engagement in FFA matters. Constance and Quentin are highly grateful to Niue for its generous and professional hosting of the FFC meetings, and inclusion of the ARC research workshop in their busy agenda, and hugely impressed with Niue’s innovative and creative approach to ocean management and community engagement.
