Solomon Islands

Country Profile

The Solomon Islands are an archipelago of nearly 1,000 islands, with nearly 75% of the population living in rural and vulnerable coastal areas. The country heavily relies on aquatic foods for nutrition and income. Climate change poses significant risks, with rising sea levels, overfishing, and increased access to unhealthy foods threatening food security and health.

WorldFish’s Support

WorldFish has over three decades of experience in the Solomon Islands, focusing on resource management, governance, and nutritional awareness, particularly for women and young children. WorldFish’s Solomon Islands country program is organized around five impact areas: program integration; climate and the environment; society and the economy; nutrition and public health; and the Nusatupe innovation hub.

Program Integration Pathway: Emphasizes integrated planning and partnerships with the government and communities to support sustainable coastal fish production.

Climate and Environment Pathway: Through the "Strengthening and Scaling Community-Based Approaches to Pacific Coastal Fisheries Management in Support of the New Song" program, we build regional coalitions for sustainable inshore fisheries management.

Key Initiatives

Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM): Since 2011, WorldFish’s Solomon Islands country program has collaborated with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) and the Government of Malaita to implement CBRM, with a nationwide strategy launched in 2022.

Social-Ecological Resilience: Co-management approaches promote resilience in small-scale fisheries through the "Building Capacity, Coordination and Communication for Collective Action on Small Scale Fisheries" program.

Fast Facts

Per capita fish consumption: 73 kg per year

Over 4,000 coastal communities

Fish accounts for 57% of total animal-source protein intake

30% of women and 21% of men live with obesity

30% of the population relies on fishing for income

Enabling Impact

With urbanization, securing a sustainable fish supply is a national priority. CBRM is the national model for sustainable coastal fisheries, supported by WorldFish's technical assistance in 76 communities since 2021. This includes information on mangrove restoration and coral replanting, fostering healthy ecosystems and resilient food systems.

Moving Forward

The Nusatupe Research Station in the Western Province is a hub for sustainable island food systems. CBRM remains key to managing marine resources cost-effectively. Training improves fish handling practices to enhance product quality, working with MFMR, provincial governments, and training providers.