Mini-HoF meeting Noumea, 4 June 2012 Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division (FAME)

1. Mini-HoF meetingNoumea, 4 June 2012Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division (FAME)

2. Topics of the presentation • Structure and functions of the Division • Finance – looking ahead to 2012 • Outlook for the work of the Director and support unit • Outlook for the work of the Coastal Fisheries Programme • Outlook for the work of the Oceanic Fisheries Programme • Conclusions and recommendations

3. DirectorInformationCRISP Project Coastal Fisheries Oceanic Fisheries Coastal Prog. Manager • Coastal fisheries management and science; • Nearshore fisheries development; • Aquaculture. Oceanic Prog. Manager • Stock assessment and modelling; • Data management; • Fisheries monitoring; • Ecosystem monitoring and analysis.

4. Budgets 2011 (revised) 2012 Recurrent funding : 3,297,600 (2011) > 2,992,400 (2011 R) > 2,809,600 (2012) All values in CFP Units

5. New Projects Started in 2012 • AusAID Fisheries for food security #2– AU$4.8 million over 4 years • GIZ Fisheries and climate change - €700,000 over 3 years • AusAID Fisheries and climate change – AU$2 million over 2 years BUT SciFish (EU) CRISP (France) and OFMP (GEF) ended in 2011, leaving some big gaps.

6. Proposed RESCCUE project • Initial focus on Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia & French Polynesia; • Integrated coastal zone management to protect against climate change; • Marine -marine managed areas and resource management; • Terrestrial – watershed management & sustainable food crops.

7. Planned for 2012 – Director/Info Unit • Internal mid-term review of strategic plan; • Continue to strengthen relationships with FFA, PNA, WCPFC, FAO and other organisations; • Work on sustained funding mechanisms, notably with the EU; • Ensure project implementation and reporting requirements are met for Divisional projects; • Develop and progress new project funding proposals; • Continue to meet fisheries information needs through regular and special publications; • Improve website following review to it make more ‘user-friendly’; • Oversee implementation of communications plan; • Fisheries education materials for schools.

8. Coastal Fisheries – 2011 highlights and some 2012 planned activities • Core and programme activities • EU-funded SciCOFish project, coastal comp. • EU-funded DEVFISH II project, coastal comp. • Australian-funded coastal fisheries CC project • Australian-funded Fisheries and Food Security • Some new initiatives

9. Aquaculture/Mariculture • Joint SPC/ACIAR workshop on culture and re-stocking of sandfish (sea cucumbers) • Joint SPC/FAO workshop on opportunities and constraints for mariculture dev. and updating the 2007 Action Plan. • Training needs assessment done in PNG on inland aquaculture and mariculture. • Strengthening aquatic biosecurity and aquaculture statistics with FAO. • All ACIAR mini-projects completed and reports produced and distributed. • Continue capacity building at all levels including in-country technical assistance and the supervision of Masters students

10. Development • Development and implementation of FAD programmes, including capacity building with FAD construction and fishing skills plus sea safety (SI, FSM, Kir, Niue) • Co-hosting FAD symposium in Papeete (December 2011); any new initiatives to be included in future technical assistance • Economic and cost benefit analysis undertaken on FAD programmes (Niue) and other development projects (Pitcairn, Van, NC, Wallis, Cooks and PNG) • Fishing trials for small pelagics underway in Marshalls and if successful (catching and marketing) implement in other countries

11. Development/DEVFISH II/Post-harvest • Strengthening and supporting fishing associations (Cooks, Tuvalu, SI, PNG); fishers have a voice in the national tuna fishery • Assistance to countries in post-harvest activities and their Competent Authorities • Seafood standards / sanitation requirements • Requirements for canning (thermal process) • Exporting requirements, mainly for EU • Development of quality management system for auditor’s accreditation • Legislation requirements for CAs • Capacity building at all levels

12. Science/Management/SciCOFish • Capacity building in sea cucumber monitoring and management advice (SI, Vanuatu, Marshalls) • Production of information sheets and guide on fisheries management for communities, in collaboration with LMMA; additional sheets planned for 2012

13. Science/Management/SciCOFish • Assistance with setting up community-based management arrangements and working with NGOs; LMMA, TNC, CTI etc • Assisting with reviews of legislation in collaboration with FFA (Tuvalu, Marshalls) and regulations (Vanuatu, SI, Cooks) for specific fisheries. • Capacity building in CEAFM (Tonga, Samoa, Nauru, Kiribati, FSM) • Develop export database and trial in Vanuatu and SI.

14. Science/Management/Climate Change • Monitoring pilot sites established in 5 countries; baseline surveys completed at 3 sites (Marshalls, Tuvalu, Kiribati) • 3 PI young professionals (Samoa, PNG, Fiji) undertaking capacity building and providing in-country training • Joint SPC/IRD project approved for 2012 to place temp data loggers in another 5 countries • Phase II of CC monitoring project approved for commencement in 2012.

15. New Initiatives • Development and management of export fisheries for aquarium trade • New AusAID funded project • Develop environmentally, socially and economically sustainable aquarium trade; alternative income source in support of food security • Assist governments to develop and implement management plans • Establish databases for monitoring aquarium trade exports • Capacity building in a range of areas from catching sector to management of fishery • Work commenced with training provided in Nauru

16. New Initiatives • Improving trade for aquaculture/ mariculture products from Pacific ACPs • New activity under the EU-funded “Increasing Agricultural Commodity Trade” (IACT) project • Strengthening national systems and institutional framework to develop trade capacity • Increase private sector competitiveness • Increase international market access • Focus on small- and medium-scale enterprises

17. New Initiatives • Assisting coastal communities to adapt to climate change effects • New GIZ funded project • Establish up to 8 pilot sites for trialing adaptation projects • Use holistic approach covering land and marine based natural resources • Establish monitoring programmes for assessing adaptation activities • Develop community-based management arrangement where needed • Promote successful adaptations to other communities

18. Planned for 2012 – CFP objective 1:To assist governments and administrations in the development of scientifically informed and socially achievable coastal fisheries management policies and systems in line with the guiding principles of the “Apia Policy” • Invert capacity building, Samao, Tokelau, Palau, Fiji • Market and creel survey manual developed and trialled in Nauru, Tonga and FSM • Develop and implement supporting databases and install mini-servers (Palau, Tuvalu, Kiribati + 3 others) • Progress aquarium trade dev/man in Solomons, Nauru, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshalls • Final 2 CC monitoring sites surveyed (PNG, FSM), finalise all baseline report and commence otolith collection and reading capacity building • Establish CC adaptation sites with 5 communities

19. Planned for 2012 – CFP objective 2: To provide a regional framework for sustainable aquaculture, in the areas of planning, research, development and trade, for Pacific Island governments, private enterprises and other stakeholders. • Assist with developing/reviewing aquaculture plans with Fiji, Cooks, Samoa and FSM. • Work with FAO for aquaculture stats database • Collaborate with WorldFish SI milkfish project • Collaborate with IFREMER on aquaculture feeds from tuna waste in PNG, NC and Fiji • Hatchery assistance in NC, Samoa and PNG • Risk assessments for introductions, sandfish in Kiribati and cobia in PNG • Biosecurity assistance in Vanuatu and PNG • Compile import standards and requirements in key markets for aquaculture products

20. Planned for 2012 – CFP objective 3: To develop sustainable nearshore fisheries in PICTs to provide food security, livelihoods, economic growth and climate change adaptations • FAD rigging and fishing skills training in FSM, Cooks, A. Samoa, Vanuatu, Marshalls, Kiribati • Training local guides in sports fishing in Niue and NC • Assist Competent Authorities in Fiji, PNG, Solomons, Kiribati, Samoa • HACCP training and plans for Fiji, Solomons • Fish silage projects supported in NC, Fiji, Vanuatu • Diamond-back squid fishing trials in NC • Economic assessment: Marshalls (fish market and bagan), Niue (sports fishing), Tokelau (tuna jerky), Fiji (milkfish farming), Solomons (inshore FADs), W&F (longline vessel operations) • Capacity building in small business management and economics (Solomons, Fiji, Vanuatu).

21. Oceanic Fisheries – 2011 highlights and some 2012 planned activities • Core and programme support • NZ purchased services • WCPFC service provision and projects • EU-funded SciCOFish project, oceanic component • EU-funded DEVFISH II project, oceanic component • Australian-funded Fisheries and Food Security projects • GIZ-funded climate change project • NZ-funded observer support project • Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme

22. Critical Partnerships • Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) • Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) • Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) • Potentially sub-regional arrangements, e.g. Te Vaka Moana (TVM), Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) • Member fisheries administrations

23. 2011 HighlightsStock Assessment & Modelling • Regional assessments completed for skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, South Pacific albacore (WCPFC funding)

24. 2011 HighlightsStock Assessment & Modelling • National Tuna Fishery Status reports completed for RMI, Samoa, Tokelau, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands • Enhanced national web pages (NZ services 2012, Japan Trust Fund, French Pacific Fund)

25. 2011 HighlightsFishery Monitoring • 100 new fisheries observers certified, and increased support to observer debriefing and trainer certification (NZ Aid Programme, EU-SciCOFish funding)

26. 2011 HighlightsFishery Monitoring • Development and testing of on-board sampling protocols (spill sampling) for purse seine observers (NZ Aid Programme, EU-SciCOFish, WCPFC funding) • Commenced the Noro project, in association with NFD of the Solomon Islands, to compare observer data to port samples of landing categories

27. 2011 HighlightsData Management • Sixth Tuna Data Workshop, with participations from most SPC members (EU-SciCOFish funding)

28. 2011 HighlightsData Management • Tuna data processing and management software “TUFMAN” now operational in most SPC member fishery administrations. • Working with countries to integrate with national Information Management Systems. (NZ 2012, AusAID, EU-SciCOFish) • Version 6.20 includes VMS-logsheet data reconciliation and PNA VDS management tools

29. 2011 HighlightsData Management • Data acquisition and processing (Programme, AusAID, WCPFC, NC funding) • 191,663 fishing operations recorded on logsheets • 156,773 fishing events recorded by observers • 1,723,996 individual fish measurements recorded by observers and port samplers

30. 2011 HighlightsEcosystem Monitoring & Analysis • Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme – 357,000 releases, approaching 52,000 recaptures (NZ Aid Programme, Korea, EU-SciCOFish, PNG funding) Bigeye Tuna Movements

31. 2011 HighlightsEcosystem Monitoring & Analysis • SEAPODYM model development – progress with high resolution skipjack model

32. 2011 Highlights • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of the PNA purse seine free-school skipjack fishery

33. 2012 Priorities • In 2012, OFP will continue with key priorities of stock assessment and management advice, data management, fishery monitoring and ecosystem research • Capacity building continues to be a key cross-cutting theme. To name a few: • Annual stock assessment training workshops • Regional and national tuna data workshops • National tuna data systems support • Observer training and other support

34. 2012 – New Initiatives • Bioeconomic modelling of tuna fisheries (SciCOFish) • Collaborative with FFA • Quantify the value of and distribution of economic benefits from tuna fisheries • Understand the economic trade-offs of purse seine fishing on FADs versus free-school setting • Analyses of national longline fisheries to determine optimal levels of fishing

35. 2012 – New Initiatives • Modelling the impacts of climate change (GIZ project) • Developing higher resolution models of tuna abundance and distribution • Using tagging data to better estimate relationships between tuna and environment • Running tuna simulations under a ‘plausible ensemble’ of climate change scenarios

36. 2012 – New Initiatives • Monitoring of artisanal tuna fisheries in SPC members • New AusAID funded project • Developing and implementing data collection and management protocols • Monitoring of fisheries utilising coastal FADs • Series of national and regional workshops to provide training

37. 2012 – New Initiatives • Stock assessments of deepwater snapper • AusAID funded project (with complementary FPF funding for French Territories) • Data collection systems developed • Data management system developed and implemented • Key biological and habitat parameters estimated • Capacity building – support for Pacific Island graduate students to undertake MSc or PhD projects

38. Thank you for the support WCPFC European Union PNG NFA MIFAFF N. Caledonie

39. Challenges for 2012 • Delivery of advice to inform fisheries management at the national level (Oceanic and Coastal); • Responding to needs of Territory members who are excluded from much project funding; • Maintaining continuity of services and building on successful work with projects coming to an end.

40. Recommendations • Note the activities undertaken in 2011 and provide feedback on the work undertaken • Note the new initiatives and the planned activities in these new work areas • Discuss and provide comment on the proposed activities planned for 2012