Papua New Guinea Fisheries Minister Visits CLS to Advance Sustainable Marine Management

Jelta Wong, Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, visited CLS alongside Austin Edo, Principal Legal Counsel, and David Karis, Executive Manager, Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS), from Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority (NFA).

A Long-Standing Partnership with Papua New Guinea

The visit provided an opportunity to review the cooperation developed over the years between CLS and the National Fisheries Authority, Papua New Guinea’s government agency responsible for managing and developing the country’s fisheries sector.

Papua New Guinea has a unique maritime context, with fishing activities extending across vast and remote waters and playing an important role for coastal communities. The partnership with CLS reflects the country’s ambition to combine local realities with technology and expertise to strengthen the management and protection of its marine resources.

From Satellite Monitoring to Maritime Safety

During their visit to Toulouse, the delegation met with CLS teams to discuss the different challenges faced by fisheries authorities, including maritime surveillance, vessel monitoring, safety at sea, and the fight against illegal fishing.

These exchanges highlighted the role that space-based technologies can play in connecting remote maritime areas and providing authorities with a clearer understanding of activities at sea.

They also addressed the specific needs of small-scale fisheries, where solutions must take into account the size of vessels, connectivity constraints, and the realities faced by coastal communities.

Combining Fisheries and Ocean Expertise

The discussions extended beyond vessel monitoring to the wider marine environment. In particular, the delegation and CLS teams exchanged on El Niño and the impact of changing ocean conditions on fisheries and marine resources.

This illustrates the broader scope of CLS’s expertise: combining satellite observation, ocean knowledge, and fisheries expertise to better understand interactions between human activities and the marine environment.

The visit to Toulouse marked a new step in the long-standing relationship between CLS and Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority. It also provided an opportunity to look ahead and continue developing approaches adapted to the country’s maritime challenges, with a shared objective of protecting marine resources, improving safety at sea, and supporting sustainable fisheries for coastal communities.