Coastal Fisheries Programme
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Number 154 (September–December 2017)

Produced by the Pacific Community, Division of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems, Information Section, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia

Produced with financial assistance from the Australian Government, the European Union, France and the New Zealand Aid Programme

Editorial

The picture below was taken in Papua New Guinea. Would you like to know what this man is celebrating? Here’s the story.

This fisherman is coming ashore on a bay that is managed by two communities with the guidance of two older brothers and their middle-aged sons. One of the sons had been exposed to conservation methods from elsewhere and started advocating for using such methods 10 years ago, after a flood wiped out a village. The man was certain that the flooding was due to mangrove cutting in the watershed. He convinced the communities to implement a series of taboos on mangrove cutting and fishing within 30% of the bay. The communities also decided to set up a mangrove nursery – they have been planting mangrove seedlings – and to control how many people can fish and which types of fishing gear can be used.

When this picture was taken, eight years later, small pelagic fish had returned in abundance, together with other species that had not been seen for years. The communities now enjoy such an abundance of small pelagic fish that it is enough for one person – such as the fisherman here – to fish for one or two hours using a small-mesh gill net over the sandy bottom and come home with enough fish for everyone.

What the story shows is that very localised management can benefit communities. If you have heard of similar stories, please share them with us.

Jeremy Prince took the picture, and in this issue, he writes about how to provide communities with tools to manage their own resources. The topic was also discussed during the first SPC Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries, which focused on data collection for coastal fisheries management.

Aymeric Desurmont
Fisheries Information Specialist

 

 

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Returning home with a nice catch after fishing for a couple of hours,
Papua New Guinea (image: Jeremy Prince).

In this issue

SPC ACTIVITIES

  • Improving regional data processes to safeguard the future of Pacific coastal fisheries  (pdf: )

  • Action Plan from the first SPC Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries  (pdf: )

  • Training in small fishing operations (pdf: )

  • Regional exchange on sandfish aquaculture for restocking  (pdf: )

  • Tilapia sportfishing ecofarms in Vanuatu  (pdf: )

  • Enhancing aquatic biosecurity in French Polynesia: A step on the pathway to sustainable development (pdf: )

  • TFAR 17: The latest on tuna catches and stock status in the WCPO  (pdf: )

  • SPC’s record-breaking tuna tagging voyage (pdf: )

  • Local fish names added to PacFishID  (pdf: )

NEWS FROM IN AND AROUND THE REGION

  • Melanesian Spearhead Group of countries addresses sea cucumber fisheries management  (pdf: )

  • Fiji Fishery Resource Profiles: Information for management on 44 of the most important species groups  (pdf: )

  • FFA releases important report on the tuna longline industry in the WCPO  (pdf: )

  • Aid for oceans and fisheries in developing world drops by 30%  (pdf: )

FEATURE ARTICLES

  • A review of sea cucumber fisheries and management in Melanesia  (pdf: )

  • Informing community-based fisheries management with spawning potential surveys (pdf: )



pdfDownload the complete publication:

Fisheries Newsletter #154 (pdf: )

 


 

 
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