Australia is increasingly leveraging its support for Pacific fisheries to reinforce regional stability amid intensifying geopolitical challenges. Through a combination of military surveillance operations, technical assistance and development funding, Canberra is contributing to economic resilience and maritime security across the Pacific Islands, a region where livelihoods, sovereignty and sustainability are deeply linked to ocean waters.
Central to Australia’s approach is its long-standing support for sustainable fisheries management, especially for tuna, a vital species for Pacific economies. Australia contributes about $3.2 million annually to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the body that oversees regional marine resource management. This funding strengthens enforcement, data collection and scientific assessments crucial to sustain fisheries.
“By focusing on nontraditional maritime issues like fisheries and disaster response, Australia is hedging against strategic tensions in the region and building practical cooperation with its neighbors,” Yunkang Liu, a Sydney-based policy analyst, told FORUM.
Alongside diplomatic and economic development efforts, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) supports Pacific maritime surveillance through Operation Solania, according to Australia’s Department of Defence, known as Defence. This mission is part of a multinational effort led by the Quadrilateral Defence Coordination Group, consisting of Australia, France, New Zealand and the U.S., and includes joint operations such as Island Chief, Kurukuru and Tui Moana.
These operations target illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs Pacific nations hundreds of millions of dollars annually while endangering food security and marine biodiversity. In 2024, Operation Kurukuru covered over 21 million square kilometers, identified eight vessels of interest, and conducted 89 boardings at sea and in port, the FFA reported.
Operation Solania, founded in 2016, has been vital in countering IUU fishing, preserving the marine environment and promoting the long-term sustainability of regional fish stocks, according to Defence.
ADF assets, including Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartans and KA350 King Air aircraft, have been deployed to patrol vast exclusive economic zones, sometimes covering up to 30,000 square nautical miles per mission. Coordinated with local maritime units, these patrols gather imagery and intelligence on vessel activity and share data with the FFA for enforcement action.
Operation Solania is more than a series of military exercises. It embodies Australia’s effort to integrate security with development goals, Defence said. The country committed $5.15 million from 2021- 2025 to expand community-based fisheries management in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. These initiatives aim to enhance local governance, food security and livelihoods by empowering communities to sustainably manage marine resources.
“Australia is actively working with ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] to address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through the Southeast Asia Sustainable Fisheries Program, which runs from 2022 to 2026,” Liu told FORUM, highlighting the transregional dimension of Australia’s fisheries strategy.
Canberra also invests through institutions such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, promoting research to improve fisheries’ productivity and resilience. Collaboration with nongovernmental organizations helps the Australian government support community-based efforts to deliver positive development outcomes, particularly in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
According to Liu, fisheries represent a low-friction area for regional engagement. “Issues like marine conservation and sustainable fisheries offer a less politically charged platform for cooperation, which makes them ideal for building trust and strengthening regional ties,” he said.
Australia’s broad support — across defense, development and diplomacy — shows how fisheries cooperation is becoming central to Indo-Pacific strategy, Liu noted. As the Pacific grows more contested, efforts such as Operation Solania and sustainable fisheries investment align national interests with regional priorities. These initiatives aim to protect marine resources and reinforce Australia’s role as a trusted Pacific partner.
