Illegal fishing activities in the remote waters of West Coast and North West Santo have become a growing concern for local leaders and communities, prompting calls for greater monitoring and enforcement.

The issue was recently raised by the newly elected Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Franklin Ezra William, who is also the first MP to represent Araki Island in South Santo.

Speaking during a meeting with the French Ambassador earlier this year, Hon. William said communities frequently witness suspicious boat lights offshore during the night.

“Families often see the lights of fishing boats passing through these two areas in Santo. But when we call for help, it’s very hard to verify whether these boats are operating legally or not,” he said.
“This is a concern for the whole of Sanma Province. We’re hoping for assistance from the French government to help monitor and protect our waters.”

Allan Tama, Caretaker Chairman of the Santo Sunset Environment Network, echoed similar concerns. He said both the West Coast and North West Santo have conservation areas that are critical to preserving marine resources.

“The western side of the islands is rich with fish, and people have seen fishing boats operating there,” Mr. Tama said.
“Sometimes we try to report it to the Maritime or Fisheries departments, but it’s difficult to confirm where the boats are from. Once, we were told a ship was registered under our own government, but we still don’t know exactly what it was doing.”

Tama added that while there have been no sightings of foreign vessels in 2025 so far, ongoing surveillance remains essential.

In response to the concerns, Yakar Silas, Principal Fisheries Officer, said the department has the tools and systems in place to monitor fishing activity within Vanuatu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“All ships entering Vanuatu’s EEZ must report before entering our waters,” he said.
“We receive notifications through email or phone alerts about their movements—when they come in, when they leave, and under which flag they are operating. This helps us keep track, even when we are off-duty.”

Mr. Silas also confirmed that Fisheries has officers stationed in remote communities who are trained to support monitoring efforts and report illegal activities.