The meeting was organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Food and Agriculture Organisation (SPC) of the United Nations, reports SaipanTribune.
Senior fisheries officers and national focal points for climate change in Pacific Island countries and territories, not-for-profit organisations and funding bodies are attending.
Mike Batty, director of SPC's Fisheries Division, said that countries need to take action now, as changes are already being felt and will gather pace in future.
“Tuna, reef and freshwater fisheries will all be affected as the oceans get warmer and more acidic,” he said. “The changes will affect economies, jobs and food, and countries of the region have to plan to minimise potential damage and maximise new opportunities.”
Cassandra De Young, FAO Fishing Planning Analyst, said climate change will compound existing pressures on fisheries and aquaculture.
“The question of how to meet existing demand for fish while ensuring the resilience of these systems and their dependent communities in the face of climate change poses a great challenge for fisheries and aquaculture management,” she said.
Mr Batty said that, according to research so far: skipjack tuna are expected to move to the eastern Pacific and catches will increase; bigeye tuna catches are likely to decline; coral reefs will be severely affected and reef fishing will decline; and there should be new opportunities in freshwater aquaculture.
Research results were published by SPC last November in the book Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change. SPC's Dr Johann Bell was the lead editor of this comprehensive study, which brought together assessments by 90 scientists and fisheries and aquaculture specialists from throughout the Asia and Pacific region.
The workshop looked in detail at the implications of the projected changes, and possible actions the countries of the Pacific could take.
“The best strategy is to get fisheries in the region in the best possible shape to cope with the stresses coming our way,” Mr Batty said.
He said countries should move now to reduce fishing to sustainable levels, and take positive action to protect coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses and inter-tidal flats from threats such as sediment runoff from mining and forestry operations.
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna are all represented at the meeting.
AusAID and the governments of New Caledonia, Japan and Sweden provided support for the meeting.
Both SPC and FAO are members of the Global Partnership for Climate, Fisheries and Aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Japan continues to be one of Vietnam’s most important and stable shrimp markets. In recent years, shrimp exports to this market have fluctuated in line with Japan’s broader economic and consumption cycles, yet Japan remains a major, high-value destination with stringent standards.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain increased by 13% compared to 2024. This growth trend has continued into the first two months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover to this market reached nearly USD 3 million in January–February 2026, up 101% year-on-year and significantly higher than the same period in 2024. This development indicates that Spain is once again becoming a notable destination for Vietnamese tuna amid strong demand for tuna raw materials and products in Europe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The 2026 brackish water shrimp farming season in the Mekong Delta has started earlier than usual, mainly driven by positive market signals, as shrimp prices in 2025 remained high and supply was limited. Many enterprises and farms in Cần Thơ, Cà Mau, and Vĩnh Long have proactively stocked early to seize opportunities. By early 2026, stocking areas in many localities had reached a high proportion of planned targets, with intensive and high-tech farming models expanding rapidly.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains a strategic export commodity in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Entering 2026, the industry faces a strong need to transition from volume-based growth to a value-driven development model, with a focus on quality, food safety, and sustainability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following damage caused by Storm No. 13 in late 2025, brackish water shrimp farming in Gia Lai is being rapidly restored. In key farming areas such as Tuy Phước and Tuy Phước Đông, farmers are focusing on rehabilitating ponds, repairing infrastructure, and treating the environment in preparation for the 2026 crop.
(seafood.vasep.com) Facing the decline in fishery resources, Vietnam is accelerating livelihood transitions for fishermen to reduce fishing pressure and move toward sustainable development. Marine fish stocks have dropped significantly from 4.82 million tons in 2000–2005 to 3.95 million tons in 2016–2020.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
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