Operation Rai Balang 2025: FFA Members Hunt For Illegal Fishing Across 14 Million Square Kilometres Of Ocean

HONIARA, 21 MAR 2025 – Illegal fishing across 14 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean faced a strong crackdown during Operation Rai Balang 2025 (OPRB25) that concluded this afternoon.

Twelve Members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) took part in the Operation from 3 – 21 March 2025, using updated technology, thorough training, and closer coordination to address potential infringements.

FFA Members involved in Operation Rai Balang are: Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

During the Operation, FFA Members conducted 96 boardings, tracked 189 vessel contacts and identified 7,629 satellite detections.

The Operation resulted in the detection of seven high risk vessels of interest.

FFA Director-General Noan Pakop highlighted the success of Operation Rai Balang 2025 and the role of intelligence analysis in guiding effective planning and targeted surveillance by maritime assets and boarding teams.

“Our daily intelligence work at the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre has been crucial to identifying and stopping illegal fishing activities,” he said.

Mr Pakop acknowledged the 12 Members who took part, the involvement of the Pacific QUADs, and the ongoing support of monitoring, control, and surveillance partners in strengthening regional operations to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

A key highlight of the Operation was the formalisation of a cooperative aerial surveillance activity between Nauru and Australia under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA).

Twenty-five seconded officers assisted in the coordination of OPRB25 from the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre at the FFA Headquarters in Honiara, providing daily intelligence and monitoring control and surveillance data systems to support the implementing Members.

Officers used a range of high-technology systems in addition to FFA Maritime Domain Awareness Tools: TUFMAN 2 is a tuna fisheries data management platform; HawkEye 360 is a radio-frequency tracking tool; Starboard Maritime Intelligence is a data analysis platform; a DVD system handles digital verification; and Maxar provides satellite imagery.

The Operation detected potential non-compliance with conservation management measures in several Members’ Exclusive Economic Zones and high seas areas that will be pursued through national and regional enforcement action processes.

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