Temotu Province Strengthens Regional Cooperation with Torba Province of Vanuatu

By Alfred Pagepitu

The Premier of Temotu Province, Hon. Stanley Tehiahua  visited Port Vila, Vanuatu, earlier this month where he met with the President of Torba Province, Edgar Haward.

The visit was described as fruitful, focusing on shared history, current challenges, and future cooperation between the two provinces.

“My recent visit to Vanuatu to meet with the President of Torba Province, Edgar Haward, was purposely to discuss the greatest threats facing the peoples of our remote islands, which lie within our shared ocean space,” Premier Tehiahua said.

He explained that since 2016, the two countries had agreed to resolve their maritime boundaries using kastom and signed a historic agreement in Mota lava.

“We decided that our border should not be seen as a fence, but as a bridge our Melanesian Corridor,” Tehiahua said.

He added that in 2024, both sides signed the Tirvau Bilateral Agreement in Honiara, which was established mainly to manage the shared ocean space between the two countries.

The Premier highlighted that both Torba and Temotu are located on the most remote edges of their nations, with limited economic bases and facing food insecurity.

Both provinces agreed the greatest threats to their remote islands are within their shared ocean space.

“Our discussions in Vanuatu mainly focused on the challenges and common issues we both face.  These threats include climate change, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, population growth, ocean warming, and ocean acidification – all of which are driving food insecurity and reducing incomes.”

‘One of the big issues we agreed on is the protection of the ocean space between Temotu and Vanuatu,” the Premier stated.

He also revealed that his government has already initiated a plan to conserve 274,000 square kilometers of ocean, as required under the Environment and Conservation Act, with consultations already underway in communities and wards.

Meanwhile, the two provinces also discussed the establishment of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) to allow marine ecosystems to recover, strengthen food and nutrition security, and create new opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

“Today, Torba and Temotu are committed to allowing our shared ocean space to regenerate  for our people, our countries, our Pacific, and our planet.”

“These understandings have been welcomed by both sides. We agreed that in the ocean space between Torba and Temotu, there must be no illegal fishing and no seabed mining,” Tehiahua stressed.

He added: “Science has shown us that our reefs are dying, our fish stocks are declining, and our top predators and resource fish are disappearing. We will stop this. We can regenerate our ocean. It is within our power and ability to reverse these alarming threats through full protection for the total recovery of our ocean space. We will do this.”

Hon. Tehiahua confirmed that both Temotu and Torba will seek support from the Melanesian Spearhead Group to advance this initiative.

He said the formal legal declaration of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) is expected during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara next month.

ENDS///