Wansolwara Voyage Sails to Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara
- Uto ni Yalo Trust Fiji
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
22 August 2025
SUVA, Fiji — The Uto ni Yalo voyaging canoe, with a regional crew from Oceania, has left Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Upon reaching Temotu, the crew will accompany the Taumako TePuke canoe to Honiara, honouring Solomon Islands’ navigation heritage and supporting the Motalava Treaty between Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, which aims to recognise traditional ties and establish joint Ocean, cultural and development initiatives, including large connected Marine Protected Areas following continuing consultation and due process.
In 2024, Uto ni Yalo undertook The Sautu Voyage from Fiji to Tonga with a Fijian and Tongan crew. Like last year’s journey, this year’s voyage is a symbol of Pacific prosperity and unity, retracing the ancient routes of ancestral Pacific leaders while reinforcing the inspiration and importance of traditional knowledge in addressing modern environmental challenges.
The Uto ni Yalo and the TePuke vaka will arrive in Honiara early morning on the 8th September to be received by PIFLM Hosts – Solomon Islands and Pacific Leaders as part of the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Key Messages of the Wansolwara Voyage:
A healthy Ocean is essential for a healthy Climate
A call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific and 100% Renewable Energy future
Advocacy for 100% Ocean Management and 30% Marine Protected Areas across Pacific waters
Recognition of the Pacific as An Ocean of Peace, resisting militarisation and affirming Indigenous guardianship
Support for ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction)
The voyage is part of a three-year Wansolwara Sail Plan, endorsed by the Pasifiki Voyaging Alliance—a network of voyaging societies from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Aotearoa, Micronesia, and the Torres Strait. Future voyages will sail to COP31 in Australia (2026) and into Pacific High Seas areas to strengthen global ocean advocacy around the BBNJ.
Fijian Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu, said leaders must honour the call to protect our ocean.
“The Wansolwara Voyage carries with it the spirit of our ancestors and the aspirations of our people today. By sailing together across our Blue Pacific, our voyagers remind us that we are one ocean and one family. This voyage is more than a journey—it is a symbol of prosperity, unity, and peace. As leaders, we must honour their call to protect our ocean, resist militarisation, and ensure that the Pacific remains an Ocean of Peace for generations to come.”
Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Hon. Jeremiah Manele, said the voyage exemplified the enduring strength of our shared ocean and ancestral ties.
“As host of this year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, we reaffirm our vision of a Blue Pacific that is peaceful, prosperous, and united. The Wansolwara Voyage exemplifies the enduring strength of our shared ocean and our ancestral ties. It reminds us that our future lies in honouring and drawing from traditional and indigenous wisdom, strengthening regional solidarity, and protecting our ocean as a source of life, stability, and peace.”
Wansolwara Voyager, Kakala Tevi, said she was proud to be voyaging for her home.
“The Pacific is more than a body of water, more than a region, more than countries, it’s a home; our home. We voyage to Honiara, to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting carrying messages for a healthy, peaceful and prosperous Pacific because a healthy, peaceful and prosperous Pacific means a healthy, peaceful and prosperous home, for all of us.”
The Wansolwara Voyage is made possible through the collaboration of the Uto ni Yalo Trust, the Pasifiki Voyaging Alliance, The Office of the Ocean Commissioner and a coalition of supporting and funding partners: Ocean 5, Waitt Foundation, Pristine Seas, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Solomon Islands, Conservation International, Blue Nature Alliance, the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia, and Kami Pasifiki.
Their shared commitment ensures that traditional voyaging continues to guide Pacific advocacy for climate justice, biodiversity, and ocean protection.
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Media Contact
Ian Chute | +679 8074075 | ichute@blueprosperityfiji.org