Question: What are the local and global relations in the fishing industry in the Pacific? Are
these relations working together for a sustainable fishing industry? Are there conflicts over
resources?
Ocean accounts for 98% of the total area of the Pacific Islands region, hence the dependence
of Pacific Island countries on ocean resources has been vital part of their cultural, social and
economic development. Tourism, transportation and the fishing industries are heavily
dependent upon the marine environment. The fishing industry is seen as a lifeline for the
locals as it only provides us with food but also with income, employment and nutritional
security. Pacific Islanders engage in Coastal fishing to satisfy their need for food. Coastal
fishing refers to the subsistence fishing carried out in the lagoons, which is an informal type
of fishing therefore monitoring by the governments is difficult. According to Ram-Bidesi
(2013), the estimate annual fish consumption in Melanesia is 23kg Polynesia is 60kg while
63kg for Micronesia. On an average, the Pacific Islanders consume 16.1% greater protein
