The Uto ni Yalo has reached Tonga for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting following a difficult week at sea.
The crew brought a message aligned with the 2024 Pacific Islands Forum theme, “Transformative Resilient Pasifiki: Build Better Now,” which emphasizes peace, prosperity, and resilience within the region.
This journey showcased traditional navigation, sustainable maritime transport, and the importance of ocean health.
Margaret Tabunakawai-Vakalalabure, the Chair of Uto Ni Yalo Trustees, likened the difficulties faced during the voyage to the broader challenges of Pacific Regionalism. She called for collective actions to enhance the well-being of the Pacific Islands and their inhabitants.
The arrival of the Uto ni Yalo underscored the necessity for sustainable ocean management and the safeguarding of marine resources, as leaders deliberated on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
While in Nuku’alofa, the Uto ni Yalo engaged with leaders and communities from the Pacific to discuss vital issues.
The central message of the voyage is that the ocean should be viewed as an Ocean of Peace, which connects the islands rather than isolates them, and it must be honored and respected.
Ian Chute from Blue Prosperity Fiji reinforced the significance of sustainable ocean management and the need for regional collaboration.
Various organizations, including the Waitt Institute, Blue Prosperity Coalition, Oceans 5, and Greenpeace Australia Pacific, supported this important voyage.