Trump’s Executive Order Casts Shadow Over Pacific Fisheries Talks in Niue
Alofi, Niue — Delegates from 17 Pacific Island countries have converged this week at the Millennium Hall in Niue for the 138th Annual Officials Forum of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). The high-level gathering comes at a critical time for the region’s tuna-rich waters — the economic lifeblood of many island nations — as geopolitical and environmental pressures continue to mount.
The five-day meeting, which opened last Friday, is focusing on key regional fisheries priorities, including sustainable tuna management, the FFA Strategic Plan review, and renewed commitments to regional solidarity in the face of growing external threats.
But this year’s forum takes place under a new shadow — the recent Executive Order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump in his second term, which aims to expand U.S. fishing rights globally under the guise of “restoring American seafood dominance.” The EO encourages U.S. flagged vessels to increase fishing activity in international waters, particularly in the Western and Central Pacific — a move that could unravel decades of Pacific-led sustainable fisheries management.
Implications of Trump’s Executive Order for the Pacific
Trump’s Executive Order, signed just days before the Niue forum, calls for:
- Loosening environmental regulations that restrict U.S. fishing operations in high seas;
- Expanding distant-water fishing fleets into traditionally regulated zones, including parts of the Pacific governed under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC);
- Challenging current access and licensing regimes administered by regional blocs such as the FFA.
This aggressive push threatens the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) and other licensing systems that provide critical income to Pacific Island nations. For many smaller economies — such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands — fisheries revenues make up over 50% of national income. Undermining these regimes risks destabilizing both economic livelihoods and regional food security.
FFA members are expected to deliberate the potential diplomatic and economic fallout from Trump’s move. Already, several Pacific governments have expressed concern that the EO could lead to overfishing, resource conflict, and weaken compliance with regional conservation measures.
What the Forum Hopes to Achieve
Key agenda items under discussion include:
- Finalizing revisions to the FFA Strategic Plan, ensuring it aligns with climate resilience, food security, and increased regional autonomy;
- Assigning technical and scientific mandates between the FFA Secretariat and the Pacific Community (SPC) to improve data-sharing and stock assessment capabilities;
- Reviewing the outcomes of the independent evaluation of FFA operations, aimed at strengthening institutional governance and responsiveness;
- Preparing coordinated positions for upcoming WCPFC negotiations, especially on limits, licensing, and bycatch regulations;
Crafting a collective response to external political interference in the region’s fisheries — including that from major fishing nations like the U.S., China, and the European Union.
Niue’s Call to Action and the Pacific’s Next Generation
In her keynote address, Niue’s Minister for Natural Resources Hon. Mona Ainu’u stressed the importance of inclusive decision-making:
“Our young people must understand how international and regional decisions affect their livelihoods. If we don’t act decisively, the tuna may vanish — and with it, our future.”
The meeting also saw the handover of the FFC chairmanship from Erana Aliklik (Nauru) to Poi Okesene of Niue, marking a continued emphasis on collaborative regional leadership. “Let us stand in solidarity as one Blue Pacific Continent,” said Aliklik, urging members to defend the region’s sovereignty over its marine resources.
What Outcomes Can Be Expected?
Historically, FFA Officials Meetings like this one result in:
- Consensus-building for joint advocacy at international forums like the WCPFC;
- Commitments to regional monitoring and surveillance programs to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing;
- Harmonized national policies across member states to align with shared sustainability goals;
- Pre-negotiation strategies for licensing talks with distant-water fishing nations.
The outcomes of this meeting will be consolidated and presented at the Forum Fisheries Committee Ministerial Meeting in July, also to be hosted by Niue. That meeting is where political leaders will formalize binding commitments — particularly relevant this year, given the geopolitical tension introduced by Trump’s EO.
A Crossroads for Pacific Sovereignty
In the end, this forum is more than just a technical meeting — it’s a litmus test of the Pacific’s collective resolve. As outside powers seek to reassert control over high-value tuna fisheries, the region must decide: Will it maintain its hard-won gains in ocean governance, or will it bend under pressure?
The Pacific’s message from Niue is clear: We are small in landmass, but we are large ocean states — and we will defend our blue frontier.
Melino Maka
Tonga Independent News
