Three Observer training Officers from the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Agency conducted training for Tuvalu Observers in October. The training was designed to enhance Tuvalu Observer e-reporting and safety, through utilizing tablets to enter data electronically instead of using the old system of workbooks.
There were 35 observers who joined the training together with Fisheries Oceanic staff. Some other Observers didn’t have the opportunity to join as some of them were on duty on board fishing vessels, and some of them were on leave.
The training was run over four days, which started on Tuesday 15th October 2019 and ended on Friday 18th October 2019 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The training was held at the Tuvalu Fisheries Conference room.
Mr Hulo Simeti said, “this is very important training to Tuvalu Observer whereas it improves their safety at sea while on duty and as well as improve the quality of the progress of observer data through reporting electronically”.
The three Officers from PNA Agency left Funafuti on Tuesday 22 October 2019.
The Tuvalu National Observer Programme is managed by the Oceanic Section of the Fisheries Department. They work on full operation review and performance audit of the program. There is about 80 total number of active observers, among them 30 certified debriefers, two trainee debriefers, four debriefer assessors, two certified observers with cross-endorsement for the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), five observers deployed on Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) trips, 39 observers deployed on PNA trips and 69 deployed on National program trips.