Prime Minister James Marape has today called for immediate global action to tackle illegal fishing and the exploitation of Pacific fisheries, stressing that Pacific nations have been the ocean's stewards for centuries. Speaking at the Honiara Summit on Sustainable Fisheries, he urged major global powers to take responsibility for their role in sea pollution and sea temperature rise and also assist in marine resources management in the Pacific. Under the theme “Iumi Tugeda Delivering on SDG 14.4: Achieving Sustainable Fisheries”, the summit brings together Pacific leaders, global experts, and representatives from 24 – 27 February 2025 to discuss sustainable fisheries management in the region. PM Marape reaffirmed that Pacific Island nations have always practised sustainable fisheries, long before the introduction of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 in 2015. He challenged industrial nations to acknowledge their responsibility in driving overfishing and environmental degradation. “No one needs to lecture us on fish sustainability—it is our lifestyle." "This lecture should be taken to the big industrial polluters who continue to pollute our oceans,” he stated. He called upon major partner nations to Pacific Island nations including the United States, China, Japan, India, and the European Union, to assist fight and stop illegal fishing activities in the Pacific. “If there is any sense of morality left in you, take this message back to your countries." "The ocean is a global asset, a carbon sink, a supermarket, and a superhighway for all your ships and submarines. It needs protection.” Prime Minister Marape declared that Papua New Guinea would take stronger enforcement measures to combat illegal fishing, including sinking unauthorised vessels found in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). “If I catch illegal fishing in my country, I will sink all the boats." "I have signed defence cooperation agreements with the United States, to assist in stopping illegal fishing in our waters,” he warned. He also called on the United Nations to advocate for a global crackdown on illegal fishing, which disproportionately affects Pacific nations while benefiting wealthier economies. Despite having some of the largest EEZs in the world, Pacific nations receive little economic benefit from their fisheries. Prime Minister Marape questioned why nations such as Kiribati, with a vast ocean area of 3.5 million square kilometres, remain among the lowest in GDP per capita. “Why are we amongst the poorest in the world when we hold some of the richest fisheries resources?" "We are not just Small Island Developing States—we are a Big Ocean Nation. We must rise and fight for our resources.” He further announced that Papua New Guinea will soon introduce a policy prohibiting the export of unprocessed fish, ensuring that all catches are landed and processed within the country. “From 16 September this year, no fish caught in Papua New Guinea’s waters will leave without being processed locally." "This is the way forward for ensuring economic benefits remain in our region.” Prime Minister Marape urged Pacific nations to strengthen cooperation in fisheries management and climate action, given that tuna and other fish species migrate across national borders. “We are in this together. Fish do not belong to one country—they migrate." "This is why we must work as one Pacific,” he emphasised. Concluding his address, he reiterated the need for technological support, stronger enforcement against illegal fishing, and global commitment to addressing climate change, which threatens fish stocks and Pacific livelihoods. “Let us not be lectured on sustainability—we are practitioners of it." "It is time for the world to recognise our role and support our efforts.” With the Honiara Summit set to shape future regional fisheries policies, Prime Minister Marape reaffirmed Papua New Guinea’s commitment to safeguarding the Pacific’s resources for future generations.