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

1. 9thSPC HOF Meeting(Noumea, 6-12 March 2015) Coastal Fisheries Programme

2. 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)

3. CFP Goal (FAME Strategic Plan 2013-2016): Coastal fisheries, nearshore fisheries and aquaculture in PICTs are managed and developed sustainably

5. 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.

6. Ian Bertram CFSM Adviser Coastal Fisheries Science and Management section

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Aquaculture Robert Jimmy Aquaculture Adviser

13. 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)

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Activities- Result 2.3: Nationalcompetent 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

17. 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.

18. THANK YOUQuestions??

19. Nearshore Fisheries Development Section 9th Heads of Fisheries meeting 6-12 March, 2015

20. 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

21. 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

22. Question to HOFs What 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?

23. Question to HOFs Small-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.

24. Flying-fish fishing (small-scale) for food security/income Bagan fishing (coop or community scale) for bait/food fish

25. Many more small pelagic resources to target (scads, fusilliers, etc) and many fishing methods exist • Should NFDS do more of this fisheries diversification work ? Squids