Country profile
Coastal fisheries snapshot
demersal fish (including parrotfish, jacks and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. lobster) 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: 392 (87%) · Female participations: 61 (13%)
Yearly participations (2016–2025)
Projected changes in atmospheric & ocean climate (by 2050)
Relative to 1995-2014 baseline. Regional CMIP6 projections applied to Nauru's climate zone (Equatorial Pacific).
Coastal fisheries (current vs 2050)
demersal fish (including parrotfish, jacks and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. lobster) 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: 71% climate change · 29% 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 Nauru, 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 high. Socioeconomic conditions make Nauru's sustainable development highly vulnerable to climate-induced 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 production of fisheries and aquaculture commodities 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
- Maintain the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to government revenue and economies
- Climate-proof infrastructure
Community-based Fisheries Management — Nauru
Source: Govan & Lalavanua 2022 (SPC), updated from FAO & SPC Outlook 2026. See the regional CBFM Report for full analysis.
Coastal fisheries in Nauru
demersal fish (including parrotfish, jacks and snappers), invertebrates for export (e.g. lobster) and gleaned from intertidal habitats, and nearshore pelagic fish (including tuna) using a range of fishing methods.
Tuna fisheries in Nauru
The Pacific is home to the world's largest tuna fishery, with member countries' EEZs producing over half of the global tuna catch. Nauru's EEZ covers 308,480 km², providing significant access to tuna and other oceanic resources.
Fisheries Contributions to Nauru'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$).
Key findings from Benefish Study 4
11.2 Contribution of fishing to GDP
Current official contribution The official GDP of Nauru and the fishing contribution to GDP are given in Table 11-7. FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 Fishing contribution to GDP (millions of A$) 2.6 2.6 2.8 3.7 3.7 GDP at current prices (millions of A$) 133.8 144.5 169.1 169.1 186 Fisheries as a % of GDP 1.9% 1.8% 1.7% 2.2% 2.0% Method used to calculate the fisheries contribution to GDP The GDP estimates for Nauru are made by the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC) (R.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
11.3 Exports of fishery production
Currently, there are no formal exports of fishery products from Nauru.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
11.4 Government revenue from fisheries
Access fees for offshore fishing Nauru's Department of Finance budget lists the following fishing access fees received (Table 11-9): Financial years 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 1055 - Support vessel charges 185,546 278,483 326,526 426,855 566,692 1071 - Purse seine revenue - licensing 536,980 1,437,904 1,745,909 1,393,798 1,098,032 1072 - Purse seine revenue - fishing days 45,640,517 70,278,915 71,206,717 57,977,121 56,524,277 Total access revenue 46,363,043 71,995,303 73,279,152 59,797,774 58,189,001 Total government revenue 180,905,330 240,017,786 269,996,331 265,880,056 319,174,555 Percent fisheries revenue of total government revenue 26% 30% 27% 22% 18% Government revenue from fisheries in 2021 was A$58,189,001, making it 18% of total government revenue. Other government revenue from fisheries Information is not readily available on the Nauru government's revenue from fisheries that is not associated with fishing vessel access.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
11.5 Fisheries-related employment
There is very little new information on fisheries-related employment in Nauru. Some of the historical studies are: • A report by the Pacific Regional Coastal Fisheries Development Programme (Vunisea et al. 2005) states that due to the economic crisis at the beginning of the decade, there was a dramatic increase in fishing and gleaning.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
11.6 Fish consumption
There is little readily available information on the levels of fishery consumption in Nauru. Some of the results of earlier studies on fisheries consumption in Nauru are: • Dalzell and Debao (1994) estimated a 1991 per capita catch rate of 45 kg per person per year. • Gillett and Lightfoot (2001) estimated an annual per capita consumption of fishery products on Nauru of 46.7 kg in the late 1990s. • An SPC/CoFish study (Vunisea et al. 2005) examined the consumption of fishery products.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
Nauru — country resources
Direct access to country-specific chapters, regional report cards and economic studies.