Oceanic tuna fisheries are a major contributor to the economic health of Pacific Island countries (PICs), with coastal fisheries underpinning the livelihoods of locals, providing food security, significant employment, culture, and human welfare. Livelihood development across various PICs is hindered by the inability to harness the maximum potential of coastal fishery resources, particularly through the lack of identifying targeted development needs. Development of coastal value chains facilitates resilience by reducing local reliance on tuna fisheries and associated vulnerability to tuna industry dynamics to support socio-economic development throughout the PICs while maintaining food security. The aim of this paper is to identify priority opportunities for developing coastal resource value chains in PICs, targeting increased local economic resilience and food security. A methodology developed by the World Bank was used to assist stakeholders and policymakers to coalesce around common strategies for the value chains. Six value chains were identified: beche-de-mer; ornamental black pearls and Trochus shell; fresh fish for the domestic market; reef fish exports; export of live lobsters; and export of aquarium fish products. Porter’s Five Forces framework was used for value chain analysis, and strategic repositioning considerations and areas for investment support within high-priority value chains were identified. Fisheries data collection, community-based sustainable management and aquaculture restocking programmes, habitat restoration, development of the cold chain, air freight logistics for export, and facilitating international market connections and market access were identified for external investment support.

The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) supports the largest tuna fishery in the world and provides most of the global catch of albacore, bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna. The WCPO tuna fisheries are critical for the development prospects of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and other territories, as they have limited other economically valuable resources to harness. Socio-economic development across various PICs is hindered by the inability to harness the maximum potential of these fisheries, in particular through the lack of identifying targeted development needs for this industry. The aim of this paper is thus to identify priority development opportunities for the value-chains of WCPO tuna fisheries, such that additional value can be extracted from existing and emerging tuna fisheries products, for the benefit of PICs. An adopted segmentation methodology, developed by the World Bank, was used to identify five value-chains: canned tuna; environmentally friendly canned tuna; ultra-low temperature tuna; chilled tuna exports; and premium chilled tuna and bottom-fish export (collectively). Porter’s Five Forces framework was used as the basis for value-chain analyses, from which strategic repositioning considerations and areas for investment support were identified. Harnessing greater return from access fees to national fishing grounds, the development of a secondary market for trading fishery access rights, facilitating sustainability certification, facilitating airfreight connections, and the development of phytosanitary standards for import and export have been identified for external investment support.