Signal Solomon Islands signs Shiprider Agreement with US for maritime law enforcement

Summary

The Solomon Islands government signed a maritime security Shiprider Agreement with the United States on July 28, 2026. Under the agreement, Solomon Islands law enforcement officers can board US Coast Guard vessels to directly enforce laws against illegal fishing, transnational crime and drug trafficking within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Solomon Islands Prime Minister's office dismissed sovereignty concerns raised by opposition figures, stating that the agreement contains no confidentiality clause and that the government would make the full text public. The agreement adds Solomon Islands to a group of Pacific nations with shiprider arrangements aimed at strengthening maritime domain enforcement capacity in contested Pacific waters.