A judicial symposium to tighten awareness on international fisheries law at the national, regional and international levels will commence in Honiara on Wednesday.
The three symposium will be held at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Conference Centre in Honiara from Wednesday 18th June to Friday 20 June 2025.
The overarching theme of the Judicial Symposium 2025 is ‘Recent Developments in International Fisheries Law.’
“The objective of the Judicial Symposium is to strengthen awareness of recent developments in international fisheries law at the national, regional and international levels.
“To ensure that the participants that comprise Chief Justices and other Judges of the High Court or Supreme Courts in FFA member countries, FFA has secured prominent international lawyers and fisheries specialists,” a statement from the organisers said.
Regional Chief Justices of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu are in Honiara for this symposium co-hosted by the Solomon Islands National Judiciary and FFA.
The key guest for the symposium is Dr Kathy-Ann Brown, a Judge from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
Other key guests:
Honourable Chief Justice Sir Albert R. Palmer, Chief Justice of Solomon Islands
Honourable Chief Justice Tetiro Mate, Chief Justice of Kiribati
Honourable Chief Justice Daniel N. Cadra, Chief Justice of Marshall Islands
Honourable Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese, Chief Justice of Samoa
Honourable Chief Justice Sir John Baptist Muria, Acting Chief Justice of Tuvalu
Papua New Guinea’s Chief Justice did not travel for the event, so only four other Regional Chief Justices plus the Solomon Islands Chief Justice are participating in the symposium.
The symposium brings together Chief Justices, High Court Judges, and international fisheries legal experts to strengthen understanding of legal developments impacting fisheries management at national, regional and global levels.
This biennial event, last held in 2019, remains a key regional platform for strengthening the judiciary’s engagement on fisheries law, including issues like IUU fishing, maritime boundaries, UNCLOS, and emerging technologies like electronic monitoring.
Most of the participants arrived in Honiara yesterday.
