Country profile
Coastal fisheries snapshot
demersal fish (including emperors and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. ark shell) and gleaned from intertidal habitats, and nearshore pelagic fish (including tuna) using a range of fishing methods.
Top 5 training topics
Gender participation
Male participations: 642 (64%) · Female participations: 355 (36%)
Yearly participations (2016–2025)
Projected changes in atmospheric & ocean climate (by 2050)
Relative to 1995-2014 baseline. Regional CMIP6 projections applied to Kiribati's climate zone (Northeast Pacific Convergence).
Coastal fisheries (current vs 2050)
demersal fish (including emperors and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. ark shell) and gleaned from intertidal habitats, and nearshore pelagic fish (including tuna) using a range of fishing methods.
Oceanic fisheries (current vs 2050)
Tuna fisheries — skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore. Habitat areas projected to shift with ocean temperature, stratification and oxygen content changes.
Freshwater & estuarine fisheries (current vs 2050)
Inland fisheries are expected to be affected by changes in rainfall patterns, river flow, and habitat accessibility by 2050.
Aquaculture (current vs 2050)
Mariculture impacted by sea surface temperature, ocean acidification and intense storms. Freshwater aquaculture may benefit from increased freshwater habitat but face disease and temperature pressure.
Livelihoods & economies (current vs 2050)
Fisheries and aquaculture provide household income, jobs and government revenue. Climate-driven changes will affect employment and economic contribution.
Aquatic food security (current vs 2050)
Aquatic (blue) foods provide an important source of nutrition. Population growth combined with climate impacts may create deficits in fish supply.
Drivers of impact on fish availability by 2050: 23% climate change · 77% population change
Blue food production systems (current vs 2050)
Blue foods contribute to nutrition security, economies, livelihoods and jobs. Climate impacts on coastal, oceanic, freshwater fisheries and aquaculture together determine the system's resilience.
In Kiribati, blue foods make very high contributions to nutrition security and health, economies, livelihoods and jobs. Compared to other Pacific islands, projected climate impacts to blue food production by 2050 are medium to high. Socioeconomic conditions make Kiribati highly vulnerable to climate-induced economic losses.
Recommended adaptation: Food & nutrition security
- Implement sustainable ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management Food and Nutrition 2
- Diversify blue food production systems Food and Nutrition 5
- Improve post-harvest preservation methods for fish and invertebrates to prepare for sudden shocks
- Promote education and awareness on the importance of protecting aquatic habitats, species and the foods they supply
Recommended adaptation: Sustainable livelihoods
- Diversify aquaculture commodities and develop new farmed climate-resilient species, strains and varieties
- Apply innovative technologies and climate-smart tools for pond aquaculture and mariculture Livelihoods 4
- Develop sustainable marine and coastal tourism
Recommended adaptation: Economies & government revenue
- Implement climate-informed fisheries management Economic Revenue 2
- Implement energy efficiency programs for fisheries and aquaculture Economic Revenue 4
- Climate-proof infrastructure
Community-based Fisheries Management — Kiribati
Source: Govan & Lalavanua 2022 (SPC), updated from FAO & SPC Outlook 2026. See the regional CBFM Report for full analysis.
Coastal fisheries in Kiribati
demersal fish (including emperors and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. ark shell) and gleaned from intertidal habitats, and nearshore pelagic fish (including tuna) using a range of fishing methods.
Tuna fisheries in Kiribati
The Pacific is home to the world's largest tuna fishery, with member countries' EEZs producing over half of the global tuna catch. Kiribati's EEZ covers 3,441,810 km², providing significant access to tuna and other oceanic resources.
Fisheries Contributions to Kiribati's Economy
Harvest by sector (1999 → 2021)
Volume and economic value of fisheries production by sector, from successive Benefish studies. Use the toggle to switch between volume (tonnes) and value (A$).
Fishing contribution to GDP
Official contribution of fishing (and aquaculture, where included) to Kiribati's GDP, in A$ (thousands). The line shows the percentage of total GDP.
Key findings from Benefish Study 4
9.2 Contribution of fishing to GDP
Current official contribution The official contribution of fishing to GDP is given in Table 9-5. Informal sector fishing for cash sales 5,678 6,183 5,924 6,403 5,959 Seaweed growers 75 75 75 75 75 Informal sector fishing for subsistence 9,464 10,305 9,874 10,672 9,932 Formal sector fishing 4,973 10,229 9,306 6,223 8,226 Total fishing contribution 22,207 26,792 25,179 23,373 24,192 Kiribati GDP at market prices 245,532 262,640 252,344 258,139 302,793 Fishing as a % of GDP 9.0% 10.2% 10.0% 9.1% 8.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
9.3 Exports of fishery production
The fishery exports of Kiribati from Customs Department data, kindly provided by SPC/SDD, are given in Table 9-7. Fish 4,395 4,704 9,882 6,633 3,537 Seaweed 96 0 0 0 0 Total fishery exports 4,491 4,704 9,882 6,633 3,537 Total direct exports 15,935 8,915 12,901 11,359 11,512 Fishery exports as % of all direct exports 28.2% 52.8% 76.6% 58.4% 30.7% For some years, the exports listed in the table could be an underestimate.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
9.4 Government revenue from fisheries
Access fees for offshore fishing The latest "Fishing License Revenues in Kiribati" (MFMRD 2019) gives the fishing license revenue for 2017 as A$169.0 million, for 2016 as A$143.3 million and for 2015 as A$197.8 million. The "fishing license revenue" is given in the 2023 Recurrent Budget (NEPO 2022), which shows that in 2021 it was A$161,445,289. With the "total government revenue" of A$246,458,807 (NEPO 2022), the "fishing license revenue" equates to 65.5% of "total government revenue".
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
9.5 Fisheries-related employment
The 2019/20 HIES (NSO 2021a) contains a wealth of information on participation in fisheries. Nationally, around 44% of all households participate in fisheries activities. Table 9-8 gives the number of people participating in the various types of fishing. Females were almost exclusively fishing invertebrates (82%).
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
9.6 Fish consumption
The following summarise some of the earlier studies of fish consumption in Kiribati: • Nube (1989) reports the Kiribati canned fish imports for 1974–1986, which ranged from 112 to 312 t per year. Using information from the 1985 census, Nube estimated daily per capita fish consumption for the 18 islands in the Gilbert and Line groups as ranging from 0.45 kg in South Tarawa to 2.86 kg in Arorae. Of the 18 islands listed, 11 (61%) have a per capita consumption of fish greater than 1 kg per day (i.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
Kiribati — country resources
Direct access to country-specific chapters, regional report cards and economic studies.