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A forum to raise awareness of the skills shortage
Even in Polynesia, recruitment and training are problematic. Once you get past the postcard decor, the situation is the same as in Europe. Organized on October 14 and 15, 2025 at the Presidency and CESec in Papeete, the Blue Economy Forum, supported by the Maritime Cluster of French Polynesia, chose this year to focus on the attractiveness of seafaring professions. This theme reveals a growing imbalance between the needs of companies and the human resources available, despite a network of 5,000 companies operating in the maritime sector.
Dynamic sectors, but under pressure
Pearl farming remains an economic mainstay for the Tuamotu and Gambier atolls, with annual sales of over 7 billion XPF (?60 million). Deep-sea fishing accounts for over 4 billion XPF. But behind these figures, professionals are struggling to stabilize their teams. In the absence of qualified personnel, some operations are operating at low capacity.
The same applies to other sectors, such as inter-island shipping and professional diving. In the Marquesas, CODIM manages two inter-island service vessels, but is having difficulty recruiting qualified sailors. "The problem is training our sailors. They have to finance their courses themselves," explains Benoît Kautai, president of the community of communes.
A dynamic but insufficient training offer
Polynesia's Centre des métiers de la mer trains over six hundred trainees every year in fields ranging from merchant marine to artisanal fishing. But those in charge recognize their limitations. "We have a lot of requests and needs, but we can't do everything." admits Heifara Trafton, plant manager.
Financing remains one of the main obstacles to accessing such training, particularly for young people from remote archipelagos. The question of how to match the training curriculum to the real needs of companies also comes up regularly in discussions.
A need for global management of the maritime sector
Stéphane Perez, President of the Maritime Cluster, stresses the need to adjust initial and continuing training schemes: " Each sector has its own particularities, but we need more interfaces between companies and training organizations. "
In practice, employers are looking for both technical profiles (mechanics, skippers, aquaculture operators) and cross-disciplinary skills (management, maintenance, safety). However, the geographical isolation of the archipelagos and the lack of financial incentives make recruitment and retention even more complex.
A blue economy with promising prospects
Nautical tourism, aquaculture, marine renewable energies and light shipbuilding: the diversification of maritime activities represents a strategic lever for the Polynesian economy. But these ambitions cannot be realized without massive investment in training and support for maritime vocations.
At a time when the blue economy is worth more than 84 billion XPF (?700 million) in the region, building bridges between sectors, training establishments and local authorities is becoming an imperative. Polynesia is no exception to the challenges faced by coastal economies worldwide
