Inaugural meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) held its first scientific meeting at SPC Headquarters last August (8-19).
      Approximately 100 fishery scientists from coastal states and territories in the region and from major fishing countries, including Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, the European Union and the USA. met to discuss the current status of the region’s fisheries.
      The new Commission’s aim is to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the region’s migratory fish stocks through effective management. The main goal of this meeting was to provide scientific advice to the Commission on the status of tuna stocks and by-catch species. The Commission, established by the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, was agreed to by Pacific Island countries among others in 2000, and entered into force in June 2004.
      “SPC has a long history and ongoing involvement in tuna fisheries research and monitoring in the western Pacific region. It is therefore a pleasure for us, in partnership with the Government of New Caledonia, to host this inaugural meeting of the Scientific Committee at our headquarters”, says Ms Lourdes Pangelinan, SPC’s Director-General.
      SPC is the interim provider of scientific advice to the Commission, which has specifically requested two scientific papers. The first provides estimates of sustainable catch and effort levels for the tuna fishery and compares the effects of various management options on stocks, and the second estimates the impacts of the fisheries on non-target species. These and other papers presented at the meeting could be found on the SPC Oceanic Fisheries Programme website.
Further information: please contact John Hampton, Oceanic Fisheries Programme Manager, phone: +687 262000.

Training regional fisheries observers in Samoa

Fisheries observers play an essential part in monitoring and managing tuna resources in the Central and Western Pacific. Observers work on board industrial tuna boats where they observe, record and report data, providing first-hand unbiased information. A three week sub-regional observer course held recently in Apia, Samoa, was attended by trainees from Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji and Solomon Islands.  
      Siosifa Fukofuka of SPC, who is responsible for training port sampling staff and fisheries observers for the Pacific, had the task of coordinating the course which included presentations by several agencies. The syllabus covered tuna harvesting procedures and use of fishing gear, sea safety and first aid, life on board a tuna boat, the role of the observer, data safe keeping and confidentiality, report writing, and identification of marine species and mammals. Similar courses aimed at providing training in all aspects of observer work have been presented by SPC and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) since 1995 with FFA focusing on compliance and management issues and SPC on scientific aspects.
      Local presenters covered components of the course with sea safety being presented by the School of Maritime Training (Samoa Polytechnic) and basic first aid by the Samoa Red Cross, who demonstrated airway, breathing and circulation (ABC) techniques, CPR, and treatment of fractures and bleeding. A SPREP adviser gave a presentation on marine pollution.
      Staff from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), based in American Samoa, presented an overview for observers boarding US Treaty vessels out of Pago Pago. They also gave a preview of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) observer forms. All US purse seine vessels fishing in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (east of 150°W) must have observers onboard who are required to complete the IATTC forms.
      Training in identifying marine mammals and sea turtles was provided by the American National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), who also gave trainees an overview of Hawaii‘s longline observer programme. NMFS will continue to take part in future courses mainly because identification of marine mammals is required for all US flag vessels including, in this case, US purse seiners.
      Assessments were carried out throughout the course which ended with a final examination with nine out of twelve trainees succeeding in gaining SPC/FFA observer certification. To validate their training, the successful trainees will be sent to sea by their national observer programmes. These trips will range from a day trip on a Samoan Alia fishing boat to 45–100 days or more at sea on purse-seine and longline vessels.
      To date, more than 1000 observers have been trained. Just over 200 of them remain either with their national programme or with regional programmes managed and monitored by FFA and SPC.
      he programme wishes to acknowledge the funding agencies - the European Union as well as the US Tuna Foundation for their support.
Further information: please contact Siosifa Fukofuka, Observer and Port Sampling Trainer, Tel: +687 262000.

Longline fishing workshop in Niue

A longline fishing workshop was conducted on Niue from 24 August to 1 September by Steve Beverly, an SPC Fisheries Development Officer. Nineteen fishermen participated in the workshop and learnt basics on sea safety, rigging fishing gear, setting and hauling longline gear and on-board handling of the catch.
      During the first few days, reading materials including longline manuals, brochures on sea safety equipment, a booklet on using marine radios were distributed. A demonstration was given with the sea safety bag containing a mini EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon), a hand-held GPS, a hand-held VHF radio, a water-proof torch, batteries for all those items, an all-purpose tool, a signal mirror, a See-Rescue Streamer, and a first-aid kit – all in a small water-proof bag.
     Steve also taught basic gear configuration and terminology. He explained how to set the gear, and how to find fish using charts, bird piles, plankton, temperature breaks, scum lines, etc. He also discussed the depth of set – how to get the line deep and where in the water column the different target species are found. He also showed participants how to rig floats, floatlines, and make up two types of branchline.
     The trainees had the opportunity to view several videos and DVDs, like LP Longline Fishing, On-board Handling of Sashimi Grade Tuna, Hawaiian Tuna Action and Crossing the Line (turtle handling for longline fishery from Australia). Steve also had slides showing photos from F/V Yellowfin trip (New Caledonia), Tsukiji Fish Market (Japan), and the deep setting project on F/V Diamax with photos of the Mooloolaba fishery (Australia).
       For the second part of the workshop, trainees could sign up for real fishing sessions. The trainees were split into two groups, so that each person got to do every job during the line setting and hauling operations. Despite the weather conditions and some technical issues, each group of trainees set and hauled 230 hooks in forty hook baskets without mishap. The captain and crew were very helpful and assisted in training the workshop participants in baiting, snapping and coiling branchlines, and other aspects of the tuna longline operation.
Further information: please contact Steve Beverly, Fisheries Development Officer, Tel: +687 262000