1. Mini-HoF meeting Noumea, 4 June 2012 Fisheries, 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. Director Information CRISP 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)
Type
Director
Oceanic
Coastal
Division
Recurrent
540,600
1,156,200
1,295,600
2,992,400
Project
1,717,600
6,050,100
2,256,200
10,023,900
Total
2,258,200
7,206,300
3,551,800
13,016,300
2012
Type
Director
Oceanic
Coastal
Division
Recurrent
477,700
1,132,700
1,199,200
2,809,600
Project
1,357,200
5,825,500
2,295,300
9,478,000
Total
1,834,900
6,958,200
3,494,500
12,287,600
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 Highlights Stock Assessment & Modelling
Regional assessments completed for skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, South Pacific albacore (WCPFC funding)

24. 2011 Highlights Stock 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 Highlights Fishery Monitoring
100 new fisheries observers certified, and increased support to observer debriefing and trainer certification (NZ Aid Programme, EU-SciCOFish funding)

26. 2011 Highlights Fishery 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 Highlights Data Management
Sixth Tuna Data Workshop, with participations from most SPC members (EU-SciCOFish funding)

28. 2011 Highlights Data 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 Highlights Data 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 Highlights Ecosystem 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 Highlights Ecosystem 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