9th SPC HOF Meeting(Noumea, 6-12 March 2015)

Coastal Fisheries Programme

Outline

• Brief overview of the CFP goal, structure and funding (Lindsay Chapman)

• Coastal fisheries science and management activities in 2013/14 and proposed for 2015/16 (Ian Bertram)

• Aquaculture activities in 2013/14 and proposed for 2015/16 (Robert Jimmy)

• Nearshore fisheries development activities in 2013/14 and proposed for 2015/16 (Michel Blanc)

CFP Goal (FAME Strategic Plan 2013-2016):

Coastal fisheries, nearshore fisheries and aquaculture in PICTs are managed

and developed sustainably

CFP staffing and funding• January 2015: 23 professional (5 country staff) and 3

support • January 2016: 16 professional (5 country staff) and 3

support staff• During 2015: 6 EU and 4 Aust. funded positions finish• New DFAT tagged funding in 2015 will support 4

positions plus hope to start PIJP programme• 2013 and 2014 budgets of around USD $5 million (4.6

million CFP units) – roughly 30% recurrent and 70% project

• 2015 budget will be roughly the same, but reducing in 2016 with projects ending.

Coastal Fisheries Science and Management section

Ian BertramCFSM Adviser

Main activities 13/14• Resource assessment and training (16 countries, >150

staff trained)• Baseline assessments for monitoring impacts of climate

change (5 countries)• End of Pacific Island Junior Professional activity (7

persons)• Support in developing resource management

arrangements (community to national levels)• Maintain current databases, developed country specific

information management systems

Science (assessments finfish, invertebrates, habitats, temperature)

• Provide support for Creel/Market surveys• Support for Biological Sampling• Continue with Enhancing Capacity in

assessments, analysis and reporting• Issues• Need to speed up the completion of reports

for member countries

Management (Community-based approaches to national management arrangements; incorporating

ecosystem-based principles & impacts of climate change, also review of coastal fisheries legislation)

• Providing advice and support in developing management arrangements

• Involvement/support depends on governance levels: national, sub-national to village levels

• Training counterparts to deliver, oversee CEAFM in-country

•Issues•Slow process of approval for management arrangements•Lacking assistance/capacity to member countries in MCS

Data management systems in support of coastal fisheries management

Develop and maintain the following:•Aquaculture monitoring (farm inventory, production, process)•FAD database (Deployment, SE & catch data)•PNG IFAD (country specific)•Biological data•National management arrangements

Aquaculture

Robert JimmyAquaculture Adviser

2013/2014 Highlights Regional aquaculture policy review undertaken to identify policy gaps in

aquaculture. Improved economies of scale of small scale aquaculture farmers: cluster of

farmers for tilapia (Fiji, PNG), giant clams (Palau) Support enterprises through improved production and marketing e.g.

sponges (e.g. FSM), giant clams, mud crabs (Fiji), seaweed (Bouganville). Improved hatchery facilities in countries e.g. Samoa, Kiribati, Vanuatu Assistance provided in the areas of aquatic biosecurity: risk assessment

protocols (new seaweed strains in Kiribati, FSM, Fiji) & aquatic biosecurity trainings (New Caledonia)

2015/2016:Activities- Result 2.1: Improved regional and national capacity for aquaculture policy, planning and administration to establish clear priorities and enable the aquaculture sector to meet current and future needs.

Improve assistance on national aquaculture policy in the areas of: national aquaculture plans & legislations (aquaculture & aquatic biosecurity).

Identify country priorities through national programme missions.

Improve regional/subregional frameworks on aquaculture: to address the areas of aquaculture statistics & aquatic biosecurity

Assist with in-country institutional strengthening.

2015/16 activities- Result 2.2: Increased skills and knowledge base in the SPC region and its member countries and territories, so as to maximize the return on investments in aquaculture through innovative, profitable and sustainable approaches

Improve capacity on community based aquaculture .

Improve production efficiency of aquaculture through support for farmer networks and clusters .

Provide assistance to Aquaculture Enterprises on product quality and standards e.g. seaweed, sponges, crabs.

Improve skills and knowledge on cross-cutting areas such as: aquaculture extension support & gender in aquaculture.

Undertake evaluation of impacts of aquaculture trainings provided over the years.

Activities- Result 2.3: National competent authorities supported to manage aquatic biosecurity risks.

Assessment of pathogen risks in aquaculture.

Undertake risk assessment of aquatic species importation

Provide technical support on OIE reporting in countries.

Support to implementation of sub-regional /regional biosecurity framework.

On-going advice on aquatic species introduction and quarantine requirements

Areas where support may be needed

• Good governance (legislation, Plans, etc.)• Capacity of aquaculture practitioners.• Private sector involvement in aquaculture.• Community engagement in aquaculture.• Aquaculture inputs supply (seeds, feeds,

equipment, materials etc.).• Aquatic biosecurity.• Socioeconomic aspects of the sector have been

given less importance than the technical ones.• Strengthened partnerships with aquaculture

players.

THANK YOU

Questions??

Nearshore Fisheries Development Section

9th Heads of Fisheries meeting6-12 March, 2015

Report on activities 2013-14 (IP-4)

• FAD work remained predominant• Several fisheries diversification projects (non-tuna resources

– small pelagics and diamond-back squids)• Increasing interest for sport fishing tourism development

(NC, Palau, PNG)• Training in safe vessel operations, fish handling and financial

management (NZ-Pacific Fisheries Training Project)• Economic evaluation capacity under-utilized• Seafood export facilitation with FFA (Fisheries for Food

Security Project)• Many inter-agency & cross-section/division collaborations

Plans for 2015-16 (IP-5)

• AusAid (Fisheries for Food Security) and EU (DevFish 2) projects coming to an end reduced capacity

• NZ-funded Pacific Fisheries Training Project (till 2018)• Fisheries education projects (Vanuatu)• Voluntary Guidelines for SSF – is there a role for NFDS?• DRM and emergency response for fisheries –

collaboration with Geoscience Division (ex SOPAC)• Monitoring the status of national FAD programmes• Testing of medium-sized tuna longliner in Kiribati

Question to HOFsWhat is the future role of FAME in FAD work and assistance?

•Increasing number of PICTs with sustainable/autonomous FAD programmes•Regional FAD workshop scheduled for June 2016•Technical manual on nearshore FADs designs / monitoring by end of 2016•What’s next?

Question to HOFsSmall-scale, small pelagics, another tool in the box?

•Risk of putting all our eggs in the same (FAD) basket!•Short-lived, fast growing species more resilient to fishing pressure? •Another sustainable alternative to reef fisheries? •NFDS can document and facilitate transfer of fishing know-how e.g.

•Bagan fishing (coop or community scale) for bait/food fish

• Flying-fish fishing (small-scale) for food security/income

•Squids

• Many more small pelagic resources to target (scads, fusilliers, etc) and many fishing methods exist

• Should NFDS do more of this fisheries diversification work ?