Fiji, June 16 -- Bougainville Fisheries Minister Amanda Masono says illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major threat to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville's remote atolls, but patrol support from Sea Shepherd Global has helped stop suspicious offshore activities, including alleged drone operations linked to foreign fishing vessels.

Masono, the Member for the Atolls Constituency in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, said the region's vast maritime zone and limited enforcement capacity have left island communities vulnerable to illegal fishing activities.

"I come from the remote waters of the Bougainville Atolls. While our isolation has preserved our way of life for generations, it has also left us vulnerab...