Transcript
For the Pacific, the climate crisis has been labelled the single greatest threat to the region.
And, increasingly, New Zealand is worried about climate security risks faced by Pacific Island states.
A Defence Force analyst, Jane Neilson, says in years to come, fish will move south to escape to warming waters.
"We're going to be seeing smaller fishing vessels following the fish moving essentially from Papua New Guinea right around and eventually potentially towards New Zealand's exclusive economic zone."
Research published in the journal Science in March found fish were moving poleward or into deeper waters across the world.
In the case of the Pacific, that may push them, and the fishing boats in tow, into New Zealand waters.
Ms Neilson says the area is no easy sailing and there will be more pressure on maritime surveillance.
"It's something that New Zealand Defense is truly taking seriously to watch out for the safety of these vessels in the coming decades."
This awareness comes as New Zealand moves to up its response to climate security.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the government is establishing a new monitoring system which will track every ship in the Pacific.
Another challenge for the Defence Force is transnational crime.
Drugs, especially, have alarmed regional analysts, including security researcher Jose Sousa-Santos.
"Tonga is in the grip of an ice epidemic, we are seeing the largest tsunami of addiction in regards to Tonga's youth groups, and organisations which are tasked with addressing addiction are completely swamped."
Mr Sousa-Santos says in recent months drug smuggling has spread to Papua New Guinea and at least three other Pacific states.
But another security expert says the region's partners are taking an overly-securitised approach.
A senior lecturer at New Zealand's Massey University, Anna Powles, says countries like New Zealand need to align themselves with Pacific priorities.
"There are credible concerns that wider geopolitical tensions and the responses to competition within the region will, by accidental design, negatively impact Pacific regionalism."
Dr Powles says regional partners should include more Pacific and female voices in conversations about security.
