Country profile
Coastal fisheries snapshot
demersal fish (including unicornfish, surgeonfish and parrotfish), invertebrates for sale (e.g. lobster) and gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. trochus and green snail), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally and barracuda) using a range of fishing methods.
Top 5 training topics
Gender participation
Male participations: 66 (75%) · Female participations: 22 (25%)
Yearly participations (2016–2025)
Projected changes in atmospheric & ocean climate (by 2050)
Relative to 1995-2014 baseline. Regional CMIP6 projections applied to Wallis and Futuna's climate zone (Southwest Pacific Convergence).
Coastal fisheries (current vs 2050)
demersal fish (including unicornfish, surgeonfish and parrotfish), invertebrates for sale (e.g. lobster) and gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. trochus and green snail), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally and barracuda) 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.
Detailed livelihoods data being compiled for this country.
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.
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 Wallis and Futuna, blue foods are very important for nutrition security and health. Compared to other Pacific islands, projected climate impacts to blue food production by 2050 are medium to high. Socioeconomic conditions make Wallis and Futuna 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
- Promote education and awareness on the importance of protecting aquatic habitats, species and the foods they supply
Recommended adaptation: Sustainable livelihoods
- Country-specific recommendations being compiled.
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 — Wallis and Futuna
Source: Govan & Lalavanua 2022 (SPC), updated from FAO & SPC Outlook 2026. See the regional CBFM Report for full analysis.
Coastal fisheries in Wallis and Futuna
demersal fish (including unicornfish, surgeonfish and parrotfish), invertebrates for sale (e.g. lobster) and gleaned from intertidal habitats (e.g. trochus and green snail), and nearshore pelagic fish (including trevally and barracuda) using a range of fishing methods.
Tuna fisheries in Wallis and Futuna
The Pacific is home to the world's largest tuna fishery, with member countries' EEZs producing over half of the global tuna catch. Wallis and Futuna's EEZ covers 258,269 km², providing significant access to tuna and other oceanic resources.
Fisheries Contributions to Wallis and Futuna'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 (CFP).
Key findings from Benefish Study 4
27.2 Contribution of fishing to GDP
Current official contribution In its annual economic report on Wallis and Futuna for 2021 (IEOM 2022b), the Institut d'Émission d'Outre-mer gives information on the GDP in the territory. It is stated there is no government agency in Wallis and Futuna with responsibility for calculating GDP. A Paris-based entity, Comptes Économiques Rapides pour l'Outre-Mer, did work on the GDP of the territory in 2008, which resulted in a GDP estimate for Wallis and Futuna in 2005 of XPF 18 billion.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
27.3 Exports of fishery production
There were no significant fishery exports of Wallis and Futuna in 2021. In the past, there were occasionally exports of trochus and sea cucumbers. According to the staff of DSA, the last trochus exported was less than a container load just before the Covid period. The last export of cucumbers was about 2011 or 2012. Since 2015, there has been a ban on the export of sea cucumbers, which was an initiative of the Territorial Environment Service (B. Mugneret, per. com. January 2023)
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
27.4 Government revenue from fisheries
Access fees for foreign fishing Since 1999, there have been no access agreements with foreign fishing fleets (Service de la Pêche et de l'Aquaculture 2007). Consequently, no access fees for foreign fishing have been received since that time. There are no access fees for any domestic vessels. Other government revenue from fisheries In Wallis and Futuna, the fishing sector is not revenue generating, but rather is subsidy absorbing. According to Anon.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
27.5 Fisheries-related employment
A report by the Coastal Fisheries Observatory of Wallis and Futuna (Anon. 2022a) contains information on fisheries-related employment: 420 Fisheries in the Economies of Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (Benefish Study 4) • In 2021 there were 28 professional fishers on Wallis and eight on Futuna. • Among the professional fishers cited in the point above, there is one female on Wallis and one on Futuna • The average age of a professional fisher is 49 years, with a range from 16 to 65.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
27.6 Fish consumption
Historical attempts to estimate per capita fish consumption on Wallis include: • Gillett and Preston (1997) considered fishery production in Wallis and Futuna along with the territory's fishery imports/exports to estimate an annual per capita fish supply of 66.9 kg for the period of the early 1990s. • Bell et al. (2009b) used information from household income and expenditure surveys conducted between 2001 and 2006 to estimate patterns of fish consumption in Pacific Island countries.
Full chapter section in Benefish Study 4 →
Wallis and Futuna — country resources
Direct access to country-specific chapters, regional report cards and economic studies.