Day 1 information | Honiara Summit

Tuesday 25 February 2025

High Level Session

Hon Jeremiah Manele PM of Solomon Islands

Keynote

The Honourable Jeremiah Manele was elected as Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands on 2 May 2024. Prior to his appointment, the Hon Prime Minister served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade from 2019-2024 after being re-elected into Parliament for a second time. He also served as Parliamentary Wing Leader of the Democratic Alliance Party during this time. The Hon Prime Minister served as Minister for Development Planning and Aid Coordinator from 2017-2018 and was Leader of the Official Opposition Group in Parliament from 2015-2017. The Hon Prime Minister was first elected to Parliament in 2014 as the Member of Parliament for the Hograno/Kia/Havulei Constituency. He has had a distinguished career as a civil servant serving the Government of the Solomon Islands in various capacities including: as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination from mid 2012-2014; as Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2008-mid 2012; as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade from 2006-2007; as Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister from 2004-2005 and as Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in 2003. The Hon Prime Minister also served at the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York – first as Counsellor from 1997-2000 and then as Charge d’Affaires from 2001-2002. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade as a Desk Officer in the Protocol Division in 1993. He began his career in the civil service as a Social Science and Economics Teacher at Selwyn College from 1992 to mid 1993. The Hon Prime Minister holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Papua New Guinea and a Certificate in Foreign Service and International Relations from Oxford University.

HE Peter Thomson UNSG Special Envoy for the Ocean

Ambassador Peter Thomson has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean since 2017, in which role he is driving the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 14. He was elected to the serve as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations for its 2016-17 term. He was Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2010 to 2016, during which time he was President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS). He led the Fiji team of diplomats that in 2013 chaired the Group of 77 and China – the UN’s largest negotiating group, comprised of 133 developing countries. He was elected as President of the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly in 2011 and as President of its Council in 2015. Ambassador Peter Thomson is a founding Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Friends of Ocean Action and is a supporting member of the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy. He has been conferred with Honorary Doctorates by the University of Bergen and the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Manuel Barange Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Director of its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division

Professor Manuel Barange is Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Director of its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. He is an honorary professor at the University of Exeter, UK, and Visiting Professor at the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, CAFS, China. Barange was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Science at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the chair of the scientific committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Professor Barange is a global fisheries and aquaculture expert, with particular focus on climate and anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems and on the role of aquatic foods in ending hunger and poverty. He has over 130 academic publications, has contributed to several IPCC reports and was Review Editor of the IPCC special report on Oceans and the Cryosphere (SROCC). In 2010 he was awarded the UNESCO-IOC Roger Revelle Medal for his contribution to ocean science.

H.E. David Adeang
President of Nauru

His Excellency David Adeang is the 17th President of the Republic of Nauru. Mr Adeang is the longest-serving member of parliament in the current parliament, having launched his political career when he first stood in the 2001 General Elections. He has maintained his seat in parliament since 2001. Mr Adeang also served as the speaker of Parliament in 2004 and 2008 and held a number of cabinet portfolios including minister assisting the president as well as finance and justice.

Hon. Feleti Teo
Prime Minister for Tuvalu

Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo is the Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He was a seasoned senior regional bureaucrat before he became a politician. Prime Minister Teo was elected unopposed as the 14th Prime Minister of Tuvalu in February 2024 after a month of becoming a Member of Parliament for Niutao. Teo was the Executive Director for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) based in Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia from March 2015 to March 2023. He was the inaugural Secretary General of the Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF) from February 2014 to February 2015 based in Suva, Fiji. Prime Minister Teo was the Deputy Secretary General at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) from May 2007 to December 2013 based in Suva, Fiji; and was the Acting Secretary General from October 2007 to October 2008. He was the Director General of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) based in Honiara, Solomon Islands from November 2000 to November 2006. Prior to his regional public service, Prime Minister Teo was the Attorney General of Tuvalu from January 1991 to November 2000. He was the first law graduate for Tuvalu in 1986. Prime Minister Teo holds a Master of Law degree from the Australian National University in 1996; a Certificate in Government Legal Advisor Course from the University of London in 1990; and a bachelor’s degree of law from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1986. He attended Saint Andrews College in Christchurch, New Zealand where he won the senior dux award in 1982. He was initially educated at the Motufoua Secondary School in Vaitupu, Tuvalu. For his public services he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013. He is married to Tausaga Talake Teo and they have 2 daughters and 2 sons.

Hon. Dalton Tagelagi

Prime Minister for Niue

The Hon Dalton Tagelagi was elected premier by the Niue Legislative Assembly on 11 June 2020. Hon. Tagelagi was re-elected for his fifth term in 2020 by his constituent and elected by the Niue Assembly as the 6th Premier of Niue. He is the Chairman of Cabinet and Minister for Central Agencies and Commercial Agencies. He is the son of the late Hon. Sam Pata Emani Tagelagi who served as Speaker of the Niue Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1996. Hon. Tagelagi was educated locally and attended Halamahaga Primary School and Niue High School. He is a sports enthusiast and an active participant in all sporting activities. He represented Niue at the Commonwealth Games, Arafura Games, Mini Games, Pacific Games, managed representative sports teams and became a medalist in the Lawn Bowls Triple at the Samoa Pacific Games 2019.

Hon. James Marape
Prime Minister for Papua New Guinea

Hon Marape was nominated, elected, and sworn in as the 8th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea by the National Parliament on 30 May 2019. He graduated with a Bachelor in Arts Degree from University of Papua New Guinea in 1993 and a Postgraduate Graduate Honours in Environmental Science in 2000. Prior to the elections, he was the Acting Assistant Secretary of Policy with the Department of Personnel Management (2001-2007). Appointed Minister for Finance and leader of Government Business in 2007 Appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for works and Transport on the 29 August 2007. Appointed as Privileges Committee-Deputy Chair and member of Parliamentary Referral Committee on Inter-Government Relations on the 18 August 2011. Appointed as Minister for Education on the 16/12/2008 to 2 August 2011 Appointed as Minister for Finance on July 2012. Resigned as Minister for Finance and Rural Development on 11 April 2019. Third (3rd) term in Parliament, he resigned from the People’s National Congress Party on 20th April, 2019. He then joined the Pangu PATI and was given the leadership role.

H.E. Surangel Whipps
President of Palau

Surangel Whipps, Jr. is the 10th President of the Republic of Palau. Hon. Whipps is a two-term senator having served in the 8th and 9th Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK, Palau National Congress) from 2009 through 2016, when he first ran for the presidency. Hon. Whipps brings to the leadership role over 30 years of experience managing one of the largest growing company in Palau. As CEO and president of the Surangel and Sons Company, he led its expansion from a one floor store with 50 employees to a diversified company employing over six-hundred people. His experience is combined with his formal background earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in economics from Andrews University in Michigan and an MBA from Anderson Graduate School of Management at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Ms Charlina Vitcheva EU DG of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Charlina Vitcheva was appointed Director General of DG MARE, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in June 2020. Prior to this, she became Deputy Director General of the JRC in September 2016. She was acting DG for the JRC from the 1 st November 2019 to the 30th April 2020. Previous to this, she was Director of Smart and Sustainable Growth and Southern Europe at DG Regional and Urban Policy, and also held a Director’s position on Inclusive Growth, Territorial and Urban Development and Northern Europe. Before joining the Commission, Charlina spent 15 years in the Bulgarian public administration including at the Permanent Representation in Brussels, dealing mainly with agricultural and fisheries issues. During this period, she was actively involved in the accession negotiations of Bulgaria and headed, between 2000 and 2004, the negotiations teams in the area of agriculture and rural development, food safety and fisheries.

Dr. Atsushi Sunami
President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Dr. Atsushi Sunami is President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) and concurrently serves as President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the SPF. He has been directing the work of the SPF as its President since June 2020 that encompass from international relations and diplomacy, social inclusion, leadership and human resource development and more importantly ocean conservation, sustainable blue economies and maritime security. He serves numerous external positions including Co-chair of the Japan National Committee for UN Decade of Ocean Science at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Visting Professor at the Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation at Waseda University. He holds a BSFS from Georgetown University and an MIA and PhD in Political Science from Columbia University.

Mr Noan Pakop
Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Director General

Mr Noan Pakop was appointed as Director-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) by the Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Officials in May 2024 and endorsed by FFC Ministers in July 2024. He officially assumed office in November 2024. A national of Papua New Guinea, Mr Pakop brings over 36 years of experience in fisheries management, regional cooperation, and policy development. He has held key leadership roles, including serving as FFA Director of Fisheries Operations from 2013 to 2018, and Deputy Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority from 2018 to 2023. His expertise spans international fisheries negotiations, monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS), and sustainable fisheries management. Throughout his career, Mr Pakop has chaired several regional and international fisheries bodies, including the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), INFOFISH, and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission’s (WCPFC) Technical Compliance Committee. His leadership has contributed to the advancement of fisheries governance, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and securing sustainable fisheries resources for Pacific nations.

Session 1: Progress in the implementation of SDG14.4. (Coordinator: FAO)

Panel 1.1: Status of fish stocks: measuring what we are managing 

Professor Manuel Barange Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Director of its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division

Keynote

Patrick Caleo (MSC)

Facilitator

Patrick joined the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2008 and currently serves as the Regional Director for the Asia Pacific. In this capacity, he provides leadership and strategic direction for MSC’s outreach and communications efforts across the region. He oversees the MSC’s offices in China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia, driving initiatives that align with the MSC’s mission to ensure oceans teeming with life and sustainable seafood supplies for future generations. A passionate free diver, Patrick’s deep connection to the ocean inspired him to pursue a career dedicated to marine conservation. He studied Fisheries Science at the Australian Maritime College and Marine Ecology at James Cook University, later earning an MBA from Deakin University to gain a comprehensive understanding of the critical role markets play in advancing sustainability. With over 30 years of experience in fisheries and the seafood industry, Patrick’s career has been built on his commitment to both the environment and the fishing industry. Under Patrick’s leadership, the MSC program in the Asia Pacific has flourished, gaining widespread support across the region. His expertise, passion, and dedication continue to drive MSC’s efforts to create lasting, positive change for the oceans.

Dr Éva Plagányi

Senior principal research scientist and research group leader based at CSIRO Environment, Australia

Dr Éva is responsible for methods to reliably and effectively manage marine natural resources, as well as to progress towards an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, including developing MICE (Models of Intermediate Complexity for Ecosystem assessment). Her research involves stock assessment modelling, ecosystem modelling including linking catchments and coasts, management strategy evaluation (MSE) and climate change impacts and adaptations. She works closely with traditional owners in Torres Strait on the management of the region’s natural marine resources. She has a dual biological and mathematical background, has published some 130 journal papers and has collaborated broadly internationally.

Dr William John Hampton
Chief Scientist, the Pacific Community (SPC)

John obtained a BSc (Hons) in marine biology from James Cook University of North Queensland in 1977. He worked initially in the Fisheries Division of the Department of Primary Industries in Canberra and subsequently moved to CSIRO in Sydney and later in Hobart. At CSIRO, he worked on southern bluefin tuna stock assessment and obtained a PhD on this subject from the University of NSW. John came to SPC in 1987 as Senior Fisheries Scientist. Initially his work focused on the analysis of tuna tagging data and the planning and implementation of the EU-funded Regional Tuna Tagging Project. After leading the Stock Assessment & Modelling Section of the OFP until 2002, John moved into the OFP leadership position of Deputy Director for Oceanic Fisheries, a position he occupied until late 2019. Since then, John has been Chief Scientist in the FAME Division of SPC, but still with a focus on oceanic fisheries. Apart from programme management duties, John has maintained an active interest in the development and application of the MULTIFAN-CL stock assessment model, tuna tagging experiments and interaction of the environment, including climate change, with the biology and ecology of tunas and their fisheries.

Graça Bauleth D'Almeida
Director of Resource Management at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia

Ms. Graça Bauleth D'Almeida is the Director of Resource Management at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia and is responsible for providing scientific advice for the sustainable utilization of the living marine resources and the conservation of the marine ecosystem, a position she held since April 2012. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Gettysburg College in 1990 and a Master of Science in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maryland in 1998, both obtained in the USA. Ms. D'Almeida has served in various scientific capacities for more than 3 decades, and has a deep understanding of ecosystem functioning and issues that impact the sustainable management of marine resources, as well as ocean governance. She speaks five languages, including among others, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Panel 1.2: Advancing sustainable fisheries: managing what we want to sustain

David Welch

Principal and Senior Scientist

C2O Fisheries, Cairns, Australia and Port Vila, Vanuatu

Facilitator

David has over 30 years’ experience working as a research scientist and independent fisheries consultant specialising in coastal fisheries. He has successfully operated a small independent science consulting firm since 2010. His experience extends across the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the SIDS of the Pacific islands region. He has extensive experience working in the region furthering knowledge and capacity to improve coastal fisheries with governments and communities. David recently completed several FAO projects, including mapping coastal fisheries data collections in Pacific SIDS, training member countries in data-limited stock assessment for SDG14.4.1 reporting, and contributed to the revised methodology for updated global stock status reporting and status of stocks (SoSI) for two FAO areas. He is the lead author for the current SPC Pacific vulnerability assessment of coastal fisheries to climate change.

Globe

Pamela Maru
Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR)

Pamela leads the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) supported by a strong background in experience in environmental monitoring, coastal and offshore fisheries management and monitoring, control and surveillance. It is with MMR that she started her career in 2001. From 2009 to 2011 Pamela held the role of Vice-Chair of the Scientific Committee for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Pamela was appointed as a Fisheries Management Adviser at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in 2012. Her role there included the provision of technical and policy advice for tuna fisheries management and compliance to Pacific Island countries at the national, sub-regional and regional levels. In particular, Pamela was responsible for developing negotiation strategies and coordinating FFA Member engagement in the WCPFC. This included supporting the national implementation of legally binding conservation and management measures. Pamela has a particular interest in the rights of coastal States and small island developing States, working with sustainable marine resource sectors to provide tangible benefits, led by and for Pacific Islanders.

Dr. Tang Yi
Professor of the College of Marine Living Resources Science and Management, Shanghai Ocean University

Dr. Tang Yi is a professor of the College of Marine Living Resources Science and Management, Shanghai Ocean University. His teaching and research focus on marine and fisheries law, policy, and management, with a particular emphasis on the international and domestic laws and regulations, management systems and measures for marine living resources conservation and utilization of. He conducted field research and production on sea with distant-water fisheries for 4 years. In 2003, he served a temporary position in the Fisheries Bureau of Ministry of Agriculture of China and participated in the drafting of the Programme of Action on the Conservation of Living Aquatic Resources of China. He also served as the Deputy Director of Yangpu Environmental Protection Bureau of Shanghai from 2005 to 2006. Since 2003, he has led over 50 research projects funded by National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science, Ministry of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs, State Oceanic Administration and others, published more than 70 papers. Since 2017, he has participated in BBNJ agreement negotiations, WTO fishery subsidy negotiations, Consultation on the draft Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries of the UN General Assembly and FAO fishery-related conferences for many times. He is now leading the study efforts to amend the Fisheries Law of China, and to the reform of China’s fisheries management.

Dr Sonia Batten
Executive Secretary, PICES

Sonia Batten has a scientific background as a biological oceanographer, studying plankton and their role in the ocean ecosystem. She completed a PhD at Southampton University in the UK, a post-doc with the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey in the North Atlantic, before initiating the North Pacific (CPR) Survey. She was its coordinator from 2000 to 2020, contributing to over 35 papers, and in the latter part of this role was also a member of the Global Ocean Observing System’s Bio-Eco Panel and chaired the Global Alliance of CPR Surveys. In April 2020, she became Executive Secretary of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). PICES is an intergovernmental science organisation which promotes collaborative marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas across the 6 member countries that border the region (Canada, Japan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America). Priorities for PICES are to promote the collection and rapid exchange of scientific information on the ocean environment, climate change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impacts of human activities in the North Pacific. PICES works with global and regional partners, organizing international conferences and capacity development events, as well as its own Annual meeting, to facilitate collaboration and promote and disseminate scientific knowledge on these issues.

Session 2: Role of Regional Fisheries bodies in supporting implementation of SDG14.4 (regional perspective) (Coordinator:FAO)

Panel 2.1: Cooperation to achieve sustainable fisheries management

Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo
Prime Minister of Tuvalu

Keynote

Alice McDonald

Senior Fishery Officer, at FAO, and is the Secretary of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the Secretary of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network

Facilitator

Alice McDonald is a Senior Fishery Officer, at FAO, and is the Secretary of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the Secretary of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network. Previously she was with the Australian Government, establishing the Climate Adaptation Program for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, which instituted a number of actions to incorporate climate impacts into adaptive fisheries management. Prior to this she spent a decade working with fisheries in the Pacific, including 6 years with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency where she supported Pacific countries to implement national, regional and multi-jurisdictional management of Pacific tuna fisheries. She has also supported delegations participating in regional fisheries management organisations in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and has worked in fisheries management, data and marine conservation in a number of South East Asian countries. Alice has also worked in fisheries management and policy roles at State level in Australia, holds an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology and a Masters degree in environmental policy.

Dr Miguel Bernal
Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of FAO

Miguel Bernal is the Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of FAO, responsible for implementing the policies agreed by GFCM countries to ensure the sustainability of fisheries and the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black seas. Previously, I have led the Secretariat's technical work on fisheries-related issues and promoted the modernization of our work to support decision-making, including through the publication of the biennial FAO-GFCM Report on the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries.

Dominic Valleries
Executive Secretary for the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)

For the last three years, I have had the honour of serving as the Executive Secretary for the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) and its eight Members. I previously worked for Fisheries New Zealand for 16 years where I was primarily responsible for the management of the tuna fishery. Prior to that, I served as an economist for the Canadian government. My academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia and a master’s in environmental management from the University of New South Wales.

Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen
RSN Co-Chair and former Director General of FFA

Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen, RSN Co-Chair and former Director-General of FFA Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen served as the FFA Director-General from November 2018-November 2024. Prior to this, she was the head of FFA Legal Services for over a decade. She is the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific: Regional Campuses and Global Engagement, co-Chair of the Regional Fisheries Secretariat Bodies Network (RSN), fisheries consultant and is on the Board of Trustees for the newly established Pacific Academy of Sciences. She holds a Master of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Canterbury, and a PhD from the University of Nottingham where she held a Commonwealth scholarship. She is a citizen of Tonga.

Camille Jean Pierre MANEL
the Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)

Camille Jean Pierre MANEL is the Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) since July 2018. He holds a Master 2 in Fisheries and Aquaculture and a Master 2 in Economics of Marine Resources and Coastal Environment. Mr. MANEL has been Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Unit, Director of Maritime Fisheries, Director of the Management and Exploitation of the Seabed at the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy in Senegal, with a short experience of the NGOs with Greenpeace Africa as Political advisor in Dakar. He later rejoined the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy as Technical Advisor to the Ministry before taking up his current duties in ICCAT. With 33 years of experience in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, Camille Jean Pierre MANEL has in-depth knowledge in the field of sustainable fisheries management and multilateral negotiations.

Panel 2.2: Collaborative regional solutions to complex challenges

Darius Campbell, North East Atlantic Fishery Commission - 3rd SOI Global Dialogue - 27Oct2

Dr. Darius Campbell
Secretary of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries CommissionFAO

Facilitator

Dr. Darius Campbell is the Secretary of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, taking up this role in 2017. Before this, Darius was the Executive Secretary for the OSPAR Commission, an Regional Seas Convention aiming to protect and conserve the North-East Atlantic and its resources. Previously Darius worked for the UK’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs as a Deputy Director responsible for issues including IUU fisheries, developing the National Climate Change Adaptation Programme, UK policy on marine environment, and international oceans governance issues. Before joining the UK Civil Service, Darius worked in international rural development in Jordan, Nigeria and India. His first degree was in zoology, followed by an MSc in Livestock production and a PhD in nomadic livestock systems in Nigeria.

Dr. Krishnan
Director of Bay of Bengal Intergovernmental Organization (BOBP-IGO)

Dr. Krishnan is the Director of Bay of Bengal Intergovernmental Organization (BOBP-IGO), a regional fisheries body with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives as its members. He contributes to strengthening regional cooperation in managing the shared fishery resources with a focus on mainstreaming ecosystem approrach in fisheries managemenmt; combatting IUU fishing and promoting fishers' safety. The key initiatives taken by him include establishment of the Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOBSAN) and the BIMSTEC-India Marine Research Network (BIMReN) towards enhancing collaborative research in in the region. A fisheries expert by training, Dr. P. Krishnan served as a scientist for over 20 years in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Government of India. He has published over 100 research papers in peer reviewed journals and 25+ policy papers/strategy documents on diverse subjects viz., fisheries resource management, coastal zone management, environmental policy and governance. Dr. Krishnan is a distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), New Delhi and is a recipient of national recognitioins for his contributions to fisheries research and deevelopment.

Dr Josie Tamate, WCPFC Chair

Dr Josie Tamate is a proud daughter of Niue. A Development Economist by training, she was introduced to international fisheries governance and tuna fisheries nearly 30 years ago and has been involved in the sector throughout. Over the last 10 years, Dr Tamate was the Head of Niue delegation at various subregional, regional and international fisheries meetings. She was the interim Chair for the South Pacific Group from 2018 to 2022, and played a key role in establishing the sub-regional group whilst continuing to be the Head of Delegation for Niue. She was elected as the VIce Chair for the Western and Central Pacific Commission in December 2018 and held this position until December 2022 when she was elected for the Chair position. In December 2024, Dr Tamate was re-elected for another 2 year term as the Chair of the WCPFC.

Taoufik EL KTIRI
Executive Secretary of the Ministerial Conference for Fisheries Cooperation between African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Executive Secretary of the Ministerial Conference for Fisheries Cooperation between African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (Since February 2024)
Previously at the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests:
Head of the Fisheries Resources Protection Division (2011-2013)
Director of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture (2013-2016),
Director of General and Legal Affairs (2016-2024)