TARAWA, 9 October 2026 – Fisheries compliance officers and observer debriefers in Kiribati today completed a four-day national training workshop on the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Compliance Case Register (PCCR) system, facilitated by the PNA Office (PNAO).

The workshop, held in Tarawa from Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 October 2026, brought together nine participants from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR) Oceanic Fisheries Division to strengthen how Kiribati records, reviews and resolves fisheries compliance cases arising from observer reports and related monitoring.

Day 1 covered the PNA legal and compliance framework – including the Nauru Agreement, the Palau Arrangement, the FSM Arrangement and the PNA Compliance Regime process – together with the roles of Kiribati as a flag State, coastal State and observer provider under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) context. Participants were then introduced to the PCCR system, its user roles and case visibility rules.

On Day 2, participants worked through the compliance review of observer data, including GEN-3 issues and the observer debriefing process, and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for PCCR case responses by the flag State, coastal State and observer provider, as well as fisheries investigation guidelines on violation wording, evidence collation and observer and witness statements.

Day 3 focused on the PNA Observer Agency (POA) Debriefing Questionnaire – a 29-question YES/NO form – and on hands-on practice using questionnaire answers to create observer-reported cases in PCCR. The week closed today with group exercises and presentations, in which teams debriefed observer trips using the questionnaire, presented their completed forms and PCCR entries, and responded to cases from the perspective of each Party role.

“This week has given Kiribati compliance and observer staff practical, hands-on experience with the PCCR and the POA Debriefing Questionnaire. Improved debriefing and well-documented cases are the foundation of an effective PNA compliance process,” said Mr. Kendou, PNAO Compliance Officer.

“This training will help our officers and debriefers respond to compliance cases more efficiently, whether as flag State, coastal State or observer provider,” said Kaon Tiamere, Director of the Ministry's Oceanic Fisheries Division, in his opening remarks.

The workshop aimed to enable participants to navigate and use PCCR to track, document and resolve cases; apply the POA Debriefing Questionnaire and SOPs with confidence; and strengthen collaboration in support of PNA compliance efforts. Expected outcomes include more efficient case analysis and reporting in the PCCR system, implementation of the POA Debriefing Questionnaire, and improved observer debriefing and statement collection standards, leading to stronger cases and evidence packages.

About the PNA Compliance Case Register (PCCR)

The PCCR system supports PNA Parties to track, document and resolve fisheries compliance cases, including those arising from observer reports, within the PNA Compliance Regime process.