Vanuatu Government, through the Department of Fisheries, has collected over 203,000 Vatu in fishing license fees from fishermen operating in Torba Province.

This year has seen a significant increase in fishing license compliance in Torba compared to previous years. A total of 15 individual fishermen and one fishing association have successfully registered and are now operating legally under the national fisheries regulations.

Fisheries Officer in Torba, Hervé Hopkine, said that in past years, many fishermen neglected to obtain licenses. However, in 2025, 16 operators have complied with the law, marking a positive shift in the province.

The current Fisheries Regulation requires that all fishing associations or individual fishermen operating a fishing business must be licensed.

According to the Department’s report, a total of 203,280 Vatu was collected from these 16 licensed fishermen. The standard annual license fee per fisherman is 12,705 Vatu.

These licenses were paid between early 2025 and March, and cover fishermen from across the province:

• 3 from East Vanualava (Vatop)
• 6 from Sola, the provincial headquarters
• 6 from Motalava
• 1 from Gaua Island

Officer Hopkine is calling on all fishermen who are still operating without licenses to register and comply with the regulation.

“Licensing is a key tool for the government to identify active fishermen in Torba. With accurate data, we can better plan and implement development in the fisheries sector across the province,” he said.