Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency delegates and partners recently journeyed to Rarotonga, Cook Islands, for a landmark consultation focused on strengthening labour standards in the Pacific’s fisheries sector, a trip enabled by support from the Oceanic Fisheries Management Project 3 (OFMP3).
The three-day workshop brought together key staff, including Labour Standards Advisor Isala Tito Isala, Legal Advisor Prof Martin Tsamenyi, and remote contributions from Compliance Policy Advisor ‘Ana Taholo and Gender Equality & Social Inclusion Advisor Rose Martin, alongside a mix of government, industry, and civil society representatives from across the Cook Islands.
The aim: Improving tuna fishing crew welfare standards
The consultation’s core mission was to spark multi-stakeholder action and map a course towards robust enforcement of crew welfare standards, reflecting both regional and international obligations.
With a focus on the FFA crew employment HMTCs (Harmonised Minimum Terms and Conditions, 2019) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission’s (WCPFC) Labour Standards Conservation and Management Measure (CMM 2024-04), the team sought to build vital awareness among Cook Islands agencies, the fishing industry, and legal stakeholders. Preparations spanned months, with the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) not only hosting but co-funding the event alongside OFMP.
Proceedings kicked off with MMR leadership, setting the tone for an interactive workshop that probed the gaps in existing national frameworks, particularly the Marine Resources Act 2005 and outdated licensing regulations, which currently lack specific crew welfare provisions and robust enforcement powers.
Collaboration in the Cook Islands. Photo credit: FFA
Highlights from the workshop
– Presentations on both the HMTCs and WCPFC’s new labour standards, including a legal and compliance deep-dive into the obligations expected of flag states and port states.
– Practical group exercises saw stakeholders examine their institutional roles, review model agreements, and grapple with the complexities of crew contracts, safety, grievance mechanisms, and human rights protections.
– Comparative discussion of case studies from Tuvalu, Tonga, and Fiji revealed similar constraints in legal frameworks and the pressing need for multi-agency reforms.
– A central question during the sessions was whether to create a compulsory Cook Islands crewing list, an amendment that would align local practice with regional enforcement standards and help close loopholes that currently expose vessel crews to risk.
– Technical contributions from FFA staff, including gender equality and social inclusion sessions, further underlined the importance of broad stakeholder engagement, from Coast Guard and Maritime Affairs to Internal Affairs, Health, and industry voices.
Consensus for change
By the close of the three-day event, participants had achieved consensus on several fronts:
– MMR was agreed upon as the national lead for crew welfare reforms, tasked with establishing a formal coordination mechanism to ensure broad agency cooperation and effective implementation of new standards.
– A five-year draft Fishing Crew Policy (2026–2031) was circulated for feedback, with FFA and MMR staff charged with refining and finalising it over the coming months, a process that includes ongoing legislative gap analysis and input from both national and international experts, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2026.
– The establishment of a clear implementation roadmap: new regulations will be drafted under section 92 of the Cook Islands’ Marine Resources Act to formally domesticate the HMTCs and WCPFC CMM standards, and phased training programs for agencies and industry are planned for roll-out in 2026.
– A monitoring and evaluation system under FFA’s MCS unit will be set up to track compliance as new standards come into force, anchoring the reform in accountability and periodic review.
Participants also flagged challenges – chief among them limited familiarity with emerging regional requirements, ongoing funding uncertainties, and the logistical hurdles posed by online engagement and time zone differences. Despite these, strong plenary engagement and practical exercises ensured high knowledge transfer, equipping attendees to shape future legislative reforms meaningfully.
The event was held as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the FFA were finalising a new partnership aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights and labour standards for crews working on fishing vessels across Pacific Islands Countries’ waters.
Implementation planned for 2026
The workshop concluded with clear follow-up actions, including a timeline to complete the Cook Islands Fishing Crew Policy by the end of December 2025 and the creation of a phased implementation schedule to kick off in the new year.
The trip, made possible by OFMP funding, signals a strong commitment. locally and regionally, to improve protections for fishing vessel crews and align Pacific fisheries management with global labour standards.
The collaborative foundation laid in Rarotonga is set to enhance the welfare, safety, and rights of those working at sea, not only in the Cook Islands, but across the Pacific region.
Photo credit: Yvette Goldberg/Unsplash
