Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua has called for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to become a greater priority for Pacific diplomacy, warning that industrial krill fishing could have consequences for Tonga’s humpback whales, tourism industry and coastal livelihoods.
In an opinion article published on Island Times ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, Lord Fakafanua argued that Pacific countries have a legitimate stake in decisions governing Antarctica’s marine ecosystems, despite having little or no representation in the negotiations of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
Every year, humpback whales migrate from Antarctic feeding grounds to Tonga’s warmer waters to breed and give birth.
Their annual return also supports a significant tourism industry, providing income for whale-watching operators, guides, accommodation providers, restaurants and communities.
But Lord Fakafanua said Tonga could protect whales only while they were in its waters.
“Their survival also depends on what happens in the Southern Ocean, where they feed on Antarctic krill,” he wrote.
He raised concerns about industrial vessels harvesting krill, which is used in products including aquaculture feed, pet food and dietary supplements.
The Prime Minister pointed to the early closure of the Antarctic krill fishery in 2025 after its management threshold of 620,000 tonnes was reached months before the scheduled end of the season. He said the threshold had again been reached early this year, arguing that faster catches reflected increasing industrial capacity rather than a conservation success.
Lord Fakafanua called for an end to krill fishing in the Southern Ocean and for long-delayed marine protected areas to be established.
He said Pacific nations, as Large Ocean States, should have a stronger voice in decisions affecting ecosystems beyond their exclusive economic zones.
“Protecting the Southern Ocean means protecting our whales, our tourism economy and the livelihoods of our people,” he said.
The issue raises a broader question for Pacific diplomacy: whether countries whose economies, environments and cultures are connected to migratory marine species should have a greater role in international decisions governing the waters those species depend on.
