Country profile
Coastal fisheries snapshot
demersal fish (including emperors, snappers, parrotfish and rabbitfish), invertebrates for export (e.g. trochus and sea cucumbers) gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. giant clams), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally) using a range of fishing methods.
Top 5 training topics
Gender participation
Male participations: 788 (63%) · Female participations: 454 (37%)
Yearly participations (2016–2025)
Projected changes in atmospheric & ocean climate (by 2050)
Relative to 1995-2014 baseline. Regional CMIP6 projections applied to Solomon Islands's climate zone (Southwest Pacific Convergence).
Coastal fisheries (current vs 2050)
demersal fish (including emperors, snappers, parrotfish and rabbitfish), invertebrates for export (e.g. trochus and sea cucumbers) gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. giant clams), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally) 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.
tilapia, seaweed, pearl oysters and giant clams, which provide food, local livelihoods and jobs
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: 20% climate change · 80% 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.
make high contributions to nutrition security and health, economies, and livelihoods and jobs. Compared to other Pacific islands, projected climate impacts to blue food production by 2050 are medium to high.
Recommended adaptation: Food & nutrition security
- Implement sustainable ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management Food and Nutrition 2
- Manage freshwater and estuarine fisheries to harness opportunities Food and Nutrition 4
- Promote the use of oceanic catches to fill the gap in aquatic resources needed for food and nutrition security
- 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 3
- Improve technical and business viability of fisheries Livelihoods 5
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 261
Community-based Fisheries Management — Solomon Islands
Source: Govan & Lalavanua 2022 (SPC), updated from FAO & SPC Outlook 2026. See the regional CBFM Report for full analysis.
Coastal fisheries in Solomon Islands
demersal fish (including emperors, snappers, parrotfish and rabbitfish), invertebrates for export (e.g. trochus and sea cucumbers) gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. giant clams), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally) using a range of fishing methods.
Tuna fisheries in Solomon Islands
The Pacific is home to the world's largest tuna fishery, with member countries' EEZs producing over half of the global tuna catch. Solomon Islands's EEZ covers 1,553,440 km², providing significant access to tuna and other oceanic resources.
Fisheries Contributions to Solomon Islands'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 (SI$).
Fishing contribution to GDP
Official contribution of fishing (and aquaculture, where included) to Solomon Islands's GDP, in US$ (units). The line shows the percentage of total GDP.
Key findings from Benefish Study 4
16.2 Contribution of fishing to GDP
Current official contribution The Statistics Office of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury calculates the official GDP of Solomon Islands. Estimates of fishing contribution to GDP for recent years appear in Table 16-7. Fishing contribution 771.8 850.1 765.4 Total GDP 12,847.1 13,234.0 12,617.0 Fishing as a % of GDP 6.01% 6.42% 6.07% Current prices; p = provisional; units – millions of Solomon Islands dollars.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
16.3 Exports of fishery production
There are two systems for tracking the fishery exports of the Solomon Islands: data from the Customs Division and that of the MFMR. The Customs Division uses Harmonized System (HS) codes4 for classifying export, with HS 03 being "fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates". Customs data is used to construct Table 16-11. HS 03 exports Total exports HS 03 as % of total exports 2015 300,983 3,138,150 9.59 2016 291,563 3,447,253 8.46 2017 400,195 3,933,357 10.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
16.4 Government revenue from fisheries
Access fees for offshore fishing The MFMR 2020 annual report gives the access fees received for offshore fishing activity in 20205 (Table 16-14). The "FFA Receipts" in the table are the proceeds from the U.S. Tuna Treaty (not including the project development fund component). Type of activity SI$ Fisheries license fees (overseas) 194,980,848 Fisheries license fees (local) 59,822,915 FFA receipts 24,087,232 PNA (FSM) fishing licence fees 60,096,154 Total 338,987,149 The total government revenue for 2020 was SI$3,799 million (CBSI 2022). The access fees for offshore fishing therefore equate to 8.9% of total government revenue. Other government revenue from fisheries The MFMR 2020 annual report gives the 2020 revenue (apart from the access fees given above) received by the MFMR (Table 16-15).
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
16.5 Fisheries-related employment
Three types of fisheries-related employment information for Solomon Islands is presented here: data on informal employment, formal employment and gender aspects of fisheries work. Informal employment in the fisheries sector is extremely important in Solomon Islands, but the available data is fragmented.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
16.6 Fish consumption
The following summarise the older estimates of annual per capita consumption of fish in Solomon Islands: • Skewes (1990) found that 31% of households consumed fresh fish each day, and that 82.4% of meals containing animal protein were fish based. The consumption of fish was estimated to be 45.5 kg. • A Japan-sponsored study in 1994 ( JICA undated) found that Honiara households consumed 47.9 kg of fresh fish per day, and that the figure for households in provinces was 65 kg.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
Solomon Islands — country resources
Direct access to country-specific chapters, regional report cards and economic studies.