The Majuro-based tuna supply company Pacific Island Tuna presented $100,000 to the Arno community late last month to support implementation of Arno Atoll’s Management Plan to strengthen local coastal conservation.
A check handover ceremony was held at the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority conference room bringing together national and local leaders.
These included Minister Tony Muller, Arno Nitijela Member Gerald Zackios, Arno Mayor Baji Danny, Protected Area Network Coordinator Alicia Edwards, The Nature Conservancy Marshall Islands Program Manager Chloe Abraham, and Pacific Island Tuna General Manager Gene Muller.
Launched in 2022 by TNC and MIMRA, PIT is a public-private venture that sources and supplies sustainably caught tuna products to global retailers, directing its profits into island communities and conservation efforts. Its co-ownership structure – with resource owners and TNC, which does not take profits – means that revenue from harvest, processing, and sales flows directly back to the resource owners: Pacific Island people.
Through this model, 40 percent of proceeds from offshore tuna fisheries are reinvested into community improvement, marine conservation, and climate resilience projects across the Pacific.
“Tuna is central to Pacific Island communities – economically and culturally,” said Gene. “What makes PIT different is that profits don’t leave our waters. They return to support communities like Arno, helping to manage reefs and protect the marine ecosystems that sustain us.”
PIT sets high standards for sustainability and accountability in the global tuna industry. The company only buys fish from vessels that follow strict codes of conduct, including onboard monitoring to reduce bycatch of at-risk species such as sharks, rays, and marine mammals, while ensuring safe and fair working conditions for crew. Partnerships with leading retailers such as Walmart show that responsibly caught tuna can succeed in global markets while supporting conservation at home.
“PIT is more than a fisheries enterprise – it’s a blueprint for how sustainable harvests can fuel conservation and community resilience,” said Keobel Sakuma, Interim Deputy Director of TNC Micronesia and Polynesia. “By reinvesting profits into reef management and local stewardship, PIT is helping ensure that Pacific Island communities remain at the heart of ocean protection.”
Looking ahead, PIT will continue to strengthen its role as a sustainable financing mechanism for conservation and community resilience across the Pacific. With support from the Global Fund for Coral Reefs through TNC’s Micronesia Coral Reefs Program, PIT is exploring opportunities to expand markets for responsibly caught tuna and diversify income streams.
The goal is to secure long-term revenue while ensuring that the benefits of tuna fishing flow directly back to Pacific Island people and ecosystems, said Gene.