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As a member of the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Tonga participates in work to establish a regional licensing arrangement that would enable Tongan vessels to fish in regional waters. The FFA advises its 17 members about relevant developments in international trade policy and economic cooperation frameworks. The FFA also administers the implementation of a Multilateral Treaty on Fisheries Between Certain Governments of the Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America. The Treaty, concluded in 1987 and renewed twice, enables purse seine fishing by U.S. vessels in the waters of the Pacific island participants.

Access to the Tongan fisheries waters is governed principally by the Fisheries Management Act (FMA) in conjunction with fishery management plans and vessel-licensing requirements; the Foreign Investment Act; and access agreements with foreign countries. The 1987 Multilateral Treaty on Fisheries between Certain Governments of the Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America allows U.S. purse seine fishing vessels to fish in the waters of the 16 Pacific island states. So far, only two trips of U.S. purse seiners into Tongan waters have been recorded. The U.S. Treaty, due to expire in 2013, was renewed for 18 months under a transitional arrangement.

Notwithstanding some areas of medium-term weaknesses, overall growth is forecast to gradually strengthen over the next few years in certain key sectors, including:
• A gradual pick-up in growth in agriculture and fisheries, following recent declines, and a medium-term stabilisation of forestry growth, following the end of sandalwood exports;

Sandalwood, a high valued export commodity and major resource for Tonga's forestry sector, was the basis for significant annual growth in the sector in 2010/11. However, due to unauthorised and unregulated cutting, production then dropped by 25.7% in 2011/12. The Forestry Division is developing a regulatory system for the sustainable harvesting and re-planting of sandalwood in Tonga with assistance by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the European Union (EU) funded Facility Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) Project and the Tasmania Forest Practices Authority.

Tonga also benefits from close engagement from development partners. Tonga's key bilateral partners include Australia, New Zealand, the People's Republic of China, Japan, Korea and the European Union (through both the European Commission and individual EU Member States). Tonga also benefits from support from multilateral/inter-governmental development partners – in particular the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and various United Nations agencies – as well as regional bodies under the Pacific Islands Forum and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. While priorities and programming vary from year to year, development partners are actively involved in funding project related to inter alia:
(…)
- Climate change;
- Information communication technology (ICT);
- Utilities (e.g. water and power)
- Renewable energy; and
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According to the European Commission, the negotiations to conclude a comprehensive EPA with the 14 Pacific island states are on-going. The agreement is intended to cover development cooperation; trade in goods and services; trade-related issues such as food safety, TBT, agriculture, and fisheries; sustainable development; and competition. (…)

Business activities requiring the fulfilment of additional conditions:
Activity: Fish and marine product-related business
Additional requirement: Fishing licence from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forests, and Fisheries

Restricted activities:
Business activity Condition
- Tuna fishing
- Bottom fishing in water deeper than 500 m
- Other deep water fishing not less than 100 m

Commercial fishing comprising:
- Aquaculture Subject to their respective Resource Management Plan (administered by the Department of Fisheries, MAFFF)

(…) The principle fisheries legislation is the Fisheries Management Act 2002, supported by regulations and fishery management plans. Management plans are in place for tuna (2002), snapper and grouper (2007), sea cucumber, and aquarium fish. (…)

Tonga has an offshore fishery for snapper and grouper (deep-sea-bottom fishing), for which no total allowable catch has been established. According to the Foreign Investment Regulations 2002, "bottom fishing in water deeper than 500 m" is a restricted activity subject to the provisions of the Tonga National Snapper and Grouper Management Plan (Table 2.2).