Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Strategy 2017-2019.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Strategy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of this policy is 3 years covering the period from 2017 to 2019. This policy lays down strategies to ensure sustainable fishery in order to contribute to the socio-economic needs of all Solomon Islanders. The objectives of this Policy are to: (I) ensure sustainable harvesting and management of offshore marine resources that maximises economic and social benefits, (II) manage the interaction between people and their inshore fisheries, aquatic resources and their environment, through providing information and facilitating sustainable management for livelihoods and food and nutritional security, (III) increase the value of aquaculture production to livelihoods and food security in Solomon Islands, (IV) strengthen the connection between the Ministry, provincial governments, rural people and key partners, (V) mobilise available resources to effectively deliver services that empower fishers, farmers and resource users to develop and manage fisheries in the provinces, and (VI) develop effective fisheries policies and to effectively facilitate, coordinate and implement the national development projects in cooperation with the Ministry.
The Tuna Management and Development Plan will be reviewed and implemented. Inspection plans will be implemented for the reduction of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. Inshore fisheries regulations will be developed, and inshore processing development projects will be implemented. An inshore fisheries database will be developed. The awareness amongst all stakeholders of the fisheries regulations will be raised. The staff of the Inshore Fisheries Division under the Ministry and the communities will be trained in the process of developing community fisheries management plans, and a rural fishers resource management and development training program will be developed which will be led by provincial fisheries officers in partnership with the inshore and aquaculture divisions. Community access to sustainable livelihoods and community-based resource management will be improved, and resource owners and users will be assisted to implement community fisheries management areas. The longline Vessel Day Scheme will be implemented for the management of national longline fisheries. Furthermore, the policies, standard operating procedures, processes and instructions will be developed and improved, and national plans and standard operating procedures will be reviewed for effective compliance standards, boarding and inspection. The inter- divisional coordination will be facilitated to improve links between the Ministry and the communities. The electronic licensing register, e-reporting and e-monitoring programme will be implemented. The National Aquaculture Development Plan and land-based aquaculture development plan will be finalized, and aquaculture regulations will be developed. Land-based research and aquaculture facilities will be developed. Moreover, the policies will be developed for aquaculture commodities and value-adding opportunities will be explored for seaweed farming.