In October 2024, a group of dedicated oceanographers, fisheries science experts, NGO and government representatives, and private sector practitioners met at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, to officially formalize the Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network (FVON). This meeting culminated in an international Steering Committee representing seven countries and 10 fishing-vessel-based ocean observing programs, some consisting of hundreds of vessels and others in operation for over two decades. Since then, FVON has expanded to include several working groups as well as a broader Member Committee leading pilots, representing industry, and lending expertise. The community is eager, passionate, and continuing to grow. The Steering Committee is dedicated to the mission that FVON is a global network that collaboratively collects rigorous, cost-effective ocean data with end-users, driving a transformative shift in our understanding of the changing ocean and informing sustainable decision-making. Since its inception, FVON has been working toward a series of strategic pillars that will enable this vision, in alignment with broader international standards such as OCG maturity metrics. This report evaluates progress and delays against each of these metrics over the period from 1 November 2024 to 31 December 2025. To do so, the FVON Secretariat integrated a combination of select Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and self-assessments from FVON working group chairs in line with FVON and OCG metrics. In doing so, this report will indicate strategic objectives for the annual period of 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 and better enable FVON to achieve its mission.