PARTNERSHIP TO STRENGTHEN SAMOA’S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE TUNA FISHERIES AND OCEAN PROTECTION

SAMOA, October 16 - PRESS RELEASE, October 16th, 2025] – Conservation International (CI) signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Apia Export Fish Packers Ltd. and the Tautai Samoa Association to advance Pacific Tuna Jurisdictional Initiatives in Samoa while simultaneously supporting the Samoa Ocean Strategy 2030.

The signing, which was held at the CI-Samoa Office, marked a milestone collaboration between CI and the private sector, an exciting step towards advancing sustainable tuna fisheries management in Samoa aimed at achieving 100% management and 30% protection of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.

Under this MoU, the partners will work together to strengthen environmental, social, and economic performance across Samoa’s offshore tuna fisheries—particularly the South Pacific albacore fishery—through the implementation of science-based tools, policy alignment, and market-driven improvements.

The partnership will also focus on enhancing collaboration between government, industry, and civil society to support sustainable ocean management, as well as promote the use of diagnostic tools to improve fishery performance, explore market opportunities and certification pathways that recognize responsible fishing practices and add value to Samoa’s tuna products while supporting human rights and ensuring decent work conditions in Samoa’s fishing sector in line with international standards informed by the local context.

This MoU has opened a new pathway for relevant partners to collaborate and work towards a shared vision of sustainably managing Samoa’s tuna fisheries and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It reinforces collective efforts toward maintaining well-managed, climate-resilient tuna stocks, ensuring environmental sustainability and social responsibility across Samoa’s fishing sector, and driving innovation that enhances value creation and livelihood opportunities for communities that depend on these resources.

The Jurisdictional Approach (JA) for Pacific Tuna Project is being implemented in Samoa, Fiji, Palau, and New Caledonia and aims to strengthen tuna governance and sustainability through integrated policy and market approaches that benefit both people and nature.

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Conservation International Pacific Islands