ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app

Inside are the essentials: a fishing hand reel, leftover catch from the previous day, and a container of water. He slips the canoe into the dark waters of the LangaLanga Lagoon and begins to paddle, joining a fleet of other canoes navigating reefs and strong currents by memory alone.

Like dozens of other men from his community, Joachim’s destination is a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD), a bamboo platform anchored offshore to attract tuna. By the time the first light rises behind Mount Alasa’a, around 18 canoes are already clustered at the FAD. From the water echo laughter, shouts, and the slap of lines hitting the sea.

Joachim Wale’oi heading out to fish as the sun rises in the fishing village of Oibola in the Solomon Islands. 

It could be mistaken for a bustling workplace anywhere in the world, except here, the day’s success is measured in fish, not wages.

For Joachim, a fisherman, canoe builder, artist, and self-described jack-of-all-trades, it’s just another day.

“For me, there’s no choice. This is what we must do,” he says. “My family relies on fish for food. What’s left, my wife sells in the village. Fishing is our life.”

A way of life under threat

Fishing is at the heart of community life along coastlines of the Solomon Islands, underpinning both food security and livelihoods. But this lifeline is under pressure. Overfishing, destructive practices such as dynamiting, and the accelerating impacts of climate change are reducing fish stocks. Population pressure has added further strain. The reefs around Malaita are not what they used to be.

“Fast-growing populations, overfishing, and destructive practices have severely damaged Malaita’s reefs and marine ecosystems,” says Meshach Sukulu, lead researcher at the WorldFish office in Auki. “Combined with rising sea temperatures, sea level rises, and unpredictable weather, fishing has become much harder than it was even a year ago.”

Fisherman Joachim Wale’oi sits amongst the mangroves in the village of Oibola. 

To address these challenges, , a non-profit organisation, works with communities across the Solomon Islands to promote self-sustaining, Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM), a locally driven model that builds on customary marine tenure.

It is based on the notion that communities are developing their own management plans to regulate who can fish, where, and how much.

Community-driven stewardship

Over the past decade, CBRM efforts in the Solomon Islands have expanded through partnerships supported by the Australian Government’s Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and researchers from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), a multidisciplinary centre, based at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app, that is dedicated to ocean law and policy, maritime security and resources management.

This work is embedded within the Pathways Project, a major international initiative led by ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app-ANCORS and implemented with regional partners, including WorldFish. In 2020, WorldFish and ANCORS reaffirmed their research collaboration with a Memorandum of Understanding, which underpins their engagement in the Pacific. 

Two men begin their day fishing near the Fish Aggregating Device in Oibola in the Solomon Islands. 
The Pathways Project focuses on equipping Pacific communities with participatory tools, practical knowledge, and governance support to ensure their marine resources remain both sources of food and engines of climate resilience. This work echoes global priorities as part the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The way forward is community-based fisheries management that is driven by the communities themselves. Firstly, they express interest in the program, which is followed by a supported process that sees the community set goals and participate in education activities to increase their awareness and understanding of the practice of how to preserve sustainable fishing practices,” says Mr Sukulu.

“This is one way to help communities manage long-term management of fish stocks. Fish are the primary source of food and income for these communities. That makes sustainability a top development priority.”

Practical steps include monitoring catches, closing fishing grounds seasonally, and creating protected areas.

When tradition meets the future

In Suava Bay, 90 nautical kilometres north of Oibola, another group of fisherman from Adaitolo village gathers before sunrise.

Led by community elder David Amagela, they steer their handmade canoes toward ripples on the water. Two canoes cast a large circular net, while others slap the water with sticks, driving fish into the net. Divers jump in, grabbing the fish trapped inside.

Community elder David Amagela with his handmade canoe in the water near the village of Adaitolo.  Mr Amagela showcases how traditional methods can be integrated with sustainable harvesting principles.

“It’s a good start to the day,” he says. “We must take sustainable fishing seriously. Our main food source is at risk of collapse.”

No single solution, but shared principles

, Principal Fellow from ANCORS, says CBRM is showing results across the Pacific, not just in the Solomons but in Kiribati, Vanuatu, and beyond.

“CBRM is not just about fisheries management,” he says. “It’s about building systems of co-governance that enables Indigenous communities to make decisions on how to use their resources and genuinely participate in broader coastal resource management systems . Through the Pathways Project, we’re seeing how this can secure not only food and income, but also cultural and social wellbeing across the Pacific.”

A group of fishermen use traditional techniques as part of the approach to Community-Based Resource Management in the Solomon Islands.More than 90 per cent of inshore fishing areas in the Solomon Islands fall under customary marine tenure, making village-led approaches central to success. As Grace Orirana, WorldFish’s Senior Research Analyst and Solomon Islands CBRM lead under the Pathways project, puts it:

“This approach recognises there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Each village develops its own management plan, deciding who can fish where, how much can be caught, and how to enforce the rules. What we’re seeing now is a rise in community leadership.”

The result is not only ecological recovery, but also stronger community leadership and resilience. As Ms Orirana says, “The best managers of marine resources, village to village, are the communities themselves. They are not only addressing resource depletion but also building climate resilience and setting future directions for their people. We still have a way to go, but the seeds of change are starting to grow.”

Lessons for the region and the world

From Oibola to Suava Bay, grassroots fisheries management in the Solomon Islands is beginning to show results. Villages are reporting stronger fish stocks, better local cooperation, and rising awareness of the need to balance income with sustainability.

For ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app-ANCORS and their partners in the Pathways Project, these lessons are informing broader efforts across the Pacific; in Kiribati, Vanuatu, and beyond. By sharing experiences across countries, the Pathways Project is helping communities and governments alike adapt to new pressures while preserving long-standing traditions.

“Ultimately,” says Associate Professor Steenbergen, “the success of CBRM demonstrates that global challenges facing Pacific peoples, like food security and climate change, can be effectively addressed when research works hand-in-hand with local leadership. Communities, fisheries officers and scientists learning and innovating together uncovers pathways for development that are locally legitimate.”