This paper provides a summary of the fisheries situation in the South Pacific. Section A of the paper discusses the role of fisheries in the economy and society of the region, situations and trends within the fisheries sector and the prevailing policy and institutional framework. In Section B important technical and policy issues are addressed, including fish consumption and nutrition, institutional strengthening and capacity building, regional fisheries cooperation and relations with distant-wa ter fishing nations, problems facing fishery management organizations and arrangements, traditional fisheries management practice, development and strengthening of national fishing and processing industries, improved international marketing for fish and fisheries products, fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance, fishing on the high seas, management of excess fishing capacity, discards, applied fisheries research and technology transfer, promotion of sustainable aquaculture, national and regional development assistance for the fisheries sector, rehabilitation of inshore fisheries and environmental concerns. Finally, Section C of the paper provides an outlook for the issues reviewed in the preceding section.