Climate Change Impact and Structural Reforms in Kiribati
KIRIBATI
enhanced fishing areas, as the transition from an MPA to an MSP approach can be a complex
process, as outlined in the previous section.
E. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations
22. The fisheries sector sustainability is key for Kiribati's future and so far, appears to have
been well managed. Kiribati depends on tuna fisheries for its development, as the sector is the
main engine of economic growth. Existing studies for the broader WCP area point to a decline of
tuna sustainability metrics since the 1970s due to more intense exploitation, but the depletion rates
remain above critical thresholds. Regional agencies have raised concerns about gaps and
weaknesses in WCP fishery management and conservation measures, particularly on the high seas.
Specifically for Kiribati, increases in the FIB indices suggest that tuna stocks expanded, and while
biomass increased over the years (as fisheries expanded geographically), only for the Gilbert Islands,
there is some evidence of overexploitation to date, likely reflecting fishing-down closer inshore.
23.
The government should maintain conservation efforts by adopting a robust MSP
approach. The MSP is expected to balance social, environmental and economic objectives that have
been specified through a political process (Unesco, 2017). The Kiribati authorities and other
stakeholders should agree on the underlying scientific evidence and assess how the transition from
the fully protected regime of the PIPA to the MSP will affect biodiversity and Kiribati's fishery
revenues. In general, moving to an MSP framework requires many steps and takes time, to properly
define the principles, goals and objectives, monitor and evaluate, regulate/enforce, and assess
contingency plans (Unesco/European Comission, 2021). Hence, until the MSP plan is released and
transparently discussed, Kiribati's adoption of an MSP approach to manage fishery stocks around
the Phoenix Islands has uncertainties about biodiversity, sustainability of ecosystems, cooperation
with third countries and the likely impact on Kiribati's VDS fishing days allocation. Effective
coordination between all ministries and with external stakeholders (e.g., community-based
management plans to restrict certain fish catch) will be essential to manage well the trade-off
between sustainability and fisheries revenue growth.
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