Solomon Islands showcases Ocean Accounts at POPCCC 2026

The 5th Pacific Oceans Pacific Climate Change Conference brought regional partners together in Honiara, where the Solomon Islands Maritime Authority (SIMA) and the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) shared progress on the country’s ocean accounting work.

During the Frameworks and Governance session, SIMA’s Diana Vasula presented Solomon Islands’ first internationally standardised ocean accounts - a National Shipping Asset Account and a Maritime Labour Account - developed with GOAP at UNSW and supported by the Pacific Community (SPC).

The accounts provide new information on the value and age of the national fleet and the people who crew it, helping build the evidence needed to support climate-aligned fleet renewal and maintain connections between outer islands.

Mapping the wider economic role of maritime transport

Two posters presented during the conference explored the wider implications of this work:

📌 Mapping the Ripple Effect, presented by Cheryl Joy Fernandez-Abila, examined how maritime transport is connected across the Solomon Islands economy. Drawing on the National Statistics Office’s 2012 input-output tables, the analysis showed how shipping is embedded in sectors including finance, trade and insurance, meaning disruptions to the fleet can have impacts far beyond the maritime sector.

📌 Diffusing “Beyond GDP” across a Sea of Islands, presented by Arthur Sokimi, placed the Solomon Islands experience within the wider Pacific region. Nine Pacific nations are now progressing ocean accounting work, with Solomon Islands demonstrating how these approaches can be institutionalised in practice.

From the first discussions to completed accounts in under two years, Solomon Islands has made significant progress in building a locally owned and regionally connected evidence base for maritime decision-making. Phase 2 of the work is now underway.

The conference provided an opportunity to share this progress in Honiara and exchange lessons with partners from across the Pacific.

Thanks to our colleagues at CSDR, SIMA, SPC and across the Solomon Islands team for supporting this work and sharing it at POPCCC 2026.

Learn more: 5th Pacific Oceans Pacific Climate Change Conference