Replacement of the RV Manaui TFD extension vessel

January 19, 2018 Matelina Stuart Operations & Development JICA, Manaui, Operation & Development

The Tuvalu Fisheries Department currently has two vessels for carrying out its activities within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and outer islands. These are the 18m RV Manaui and 32m RV Tala Moana. The vessels are used for deploying fish aggregating devices (FADs), visiting outer islands for monitoring and consultations, transporting equipment and as a staging platform for research. They are also available for charter by third parties and for charters. The Tala Moana was procured through the UNDP NAPA2 Project in December 2015, but the Manaui was procured through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 13th January 1989, and at 29 years of service is nearing the end of its life. The Japan Government provided Manaui I through the assistance of a consortium of Japanese companies comprising Sumitomo Corporation and the Nishinippon F.R.D. Shipbuilding Company Ltd. Over the years, the Manaui was maintained with the on-going assistance of Japan’s Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF). The Government of Tuvalu has requested assistance to replace the old Manaui with a new vessel more suited to the changing role of fisheries in the country.

A team of four experts from the Japan Fisheries Engineering Co., Ltd. and their leader visited Funafuti in January on a fact-finding mission to identify needs and existing facilities so that the new Manaui can be designed. The Team was hired by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct the survey and consult with representatives from the Government of Tuvalu including, Heads of the Ministry of Natural Resources and senior staff of the Fisheries Department. The team arrived in early January and spent three weeks on Funafuti doing their survey and consultancy works.

The proposal to replace the old Manaui is timely because it is more suited to experimental fishing than research and monitoring and many of its systems have started breaking down, requiring increasing periods on the slip for maintenance. Despite the old age and frequent breakdowns of the MV Manaui, she has played a good role within the department of executing of trips within Tuvalu including trips involving Government official, development projects, charters and fisheries sector work. One of the officials from Japan who assessed the status of the old Manaui, confirmed that the vessel has reached the end of its useful life and should be replaced.

Fisheries New Office Building now Complete

January 18, 2018 Matelina Stuart Admin MFAT, PROP

There were more than two hundred guest at the opening ceremony of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department’s (TFD) new office building, including the guest of honour, Mr Matt Howell from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT), the Governor General, Prime Minister and Ministers of respected ministries within the Government of Tuvalu. Also present were TFD fisheries partners including, SAJO industries Co. Ltd., Shilla fishing company, Dongwon Industries, RD Corporation, CKP, Hansung Enterprise Co., Ltd., the manager of the Overseas Fisheries Corporation Foundation OFCF, Tuvalu island leaders and retired staff of the TFD. The opening ceremony was hosted by the Minister of Natural Resources, Dr Puakena Boreham. The opening ceremony program was started at 10am in the morning at Teone, in a tent on the ocean side of the new office building.

The ceremony started with speeches from the Honourable Minister of Natural Resources and the Director of Fisheries. The Director of Fisheries mentioned in his speech “how important the new building is to the Fisheries department, as the scatter of fisheries officers among six separate offices prevented effective communications and personnel management”. He also thanked the New Zealand Government, not forgetting the company who built the building, Timber Construction Solutions (TCS), for their assistance and support in the construction of the new fisheries operations centre which is finally now in shape.

All invited guests took a tour of the new building after it been blessed and the ribbon cut. The Honourable Sir Iakopa Taeia Italeli, Governor General and Mr Howell of MFAT cut the ribbon of the new Fisheries Operations Centre.

The program continued with feasting prepared by the Nanumaga community and TFD staffs which are sea foods. There were also entertainment from young local dancers and fatele (Tuvalu local dance) from the Nukufetau island community. Local gift were presented to invited guest (foreigners) during the fatele. The program ended with a closing speech from the Ministry of Natural Resources Permanent Secretary, Mr Niko Apinelu.

The new Fisheries Operations Centre is part of TFD’s objectives planned over the past four years. Assistance was provided by the Fisheries Technical Advisor, and Inshore Fisheries Advisers who were also funded by MFAT. Originally the new building was to be completed by the end of 2015 but due to unexpected delays was not completed till December 2017. The new facility includes not only office space but also a conference room, vessel monitoring system (VMS) room, dive bay, wet and dry lab, and a storage/ work area for FAD construction and practical training courses.

The new TFD building was funded by the New Zealand Government, with IT equipment procured using World Bank funds as part of the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Programme (PROP) and office furniture co-funded by MFAT and the Government of Tuvalu.

Public Awareness Materials for FRFSP

January 3, 2018 Matelina Stuart Coastal, Library Posters, Public awareness, Size limits, Stickers

As part of its awareness campaign to support the opening of the Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan (FRFSP) the Coastal Section of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department developed a series of posters, banners and a water-proof, sun-proof sticker to highlight some aspects of the new plan.

The materials were printed and displayed at the recent First Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries (RTMCF) in Noumea in November, and the opening of the FRFSP on December 14.

The main purpose of the materials was to give Tuvaluans an easy reference to the new plan, provide a sticker for fishers to use so they could avoid catching fishes that are too small to allow them to breed, and to make a clear link between fisheries and food and nutrition security.

The new plan will be implemented from early 2018. Watch this space for more information and new materials.

Local Fishermen Trained on new Fishing Techniques

December 7, 2017 Matelina Stuart Operations & Development

Mr Keizo, a specialist in fishing techniques and post-harvest processing, is currently providing training to fishers in Funafuti. Mr Keizo is from the Japan Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF). Together with two Tuvalu Fisheries Department (TFD) officers, he is conducting training for local fishermen on new methods of fishing by trolling. During the training, he has also been conducting lessons on fish smoking.

The training was run for 3 days between 29th of November to the 1st of December this year at the TFD workshop at Teone. The trainers and local fishermen who attended the workshop went on a practical fishing trip (went trolling) on the RV Manaui to try out the new techniques.

The fishing technique and smoked fish training is part of the ‘capacity development’ activities of the TFD work plan for 2017. The workshop is an outcome of an agreement between the TFD and OFCF; with OFCF sponsoring and organising the training.

The fishing technique training was carried out to relieve pressure on overfished coastal fisheries stocks in Funafuti. Creel surveys carried out by the Coastal Section since 2015 have clearly shown that the reef fisheries are heavily overfished and there is a need to utilise more of the pelagic and oceanic species. A move to greater use of oceanic fishes is also part of the new Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan (FRFSP) which will be opened in Funafuti on 14th December.

The smoked fish training was a need identified during past consultations with outer island fishers and communities. Smoking fish can be used to preserve a wide range of fish products without the need for refrigeration to be used during periods when bad weather prevents fishing. Local fishermen on Funafuti showed their interest in the training and raised some of the issues they face in Funafuti as well as outer islands. One of the requests made was for TFD to provide fishing gear for local fishers.

It won’t only be local fishermen on Funafuti who benefit from the training. Additional training sessions are planned for outer islands in the future.

Metro 7 trip is complete: Another milestone for 2017

November 28, 2017 Matelina Stuart Coastal

The coastal section of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department has successfully completed the final metronome trip for 2017 to the northern islands of Niutao, Nanumea and Nanumaga. This completes an important activity under the TFD Annual work plan 2017. The metronome trips, carried out 4 times per year, are an important and on-going part of our outreach to the outer islands. During the trips we work together with the island Kaupules to identify and address fisheries issues. The primary aim of the latest mission was to consult with people, carry out discussions and present status reports on the progress of our work on each island.

The trip was carried out by five officers from the Coastal Section and an officer from the Administration Section for media purposes. The trip was run between the dates of 24^th September to the 15^th of October 2017. The main activities completed were:

A two day refresher workshop on creel surveys for Outer Island Data Collectors (OIDCs) and Ridge to Reef (R2R) Officers;
Creel surveys for increasing sample size of TFD’s creel programme and for comparison with OIDC’s samples for quality control;
On-going collection of ciguatera fish poisoning cases on each island;
Collect fisheries related information for developing fisheries island profiles;
Consultations with each Kaupule to discuss and review progress on implementation of agreed fisheries management actions; and
Awareness workshops with the communities and primary schools on ciguatera fish poisoning, marine pollution, the differences between LMMAs and MPAs, and awareness for the fisheries library (including information on what sort of information are kept, who the main users are and services provided.

The three visited northern islands contributed perspectives on their issues relating to fisheries, and made recommendations for managing and re-building their coastal reef fisheries productivity. They also requested copies of reports on the previous surveys made on their islands.

Next year, the Metronome trips will begin again in March.

2018 Metronome trips:
Metro 8 Central (Talamoana)	Nui, Nukufetau, Vaitupu	1/3/18	30/3/18
Metro 9 South (Talamoana)	Nukulaelae, Niulakita	15/5/18	31/5/18
Metro 10 North (Talamoana)	Nanumea, Nanumaga, Niutao	1/8/18	30/8/18
Metro 11 Central (Talamoana)	Nui, Nukufetau, Vaitupu	22/9/18	21/10/18

The First Coastal Fisheries Meeting : RTMCF Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries

November 27, 2017 Matelina Stuart Coastal

This month seven Coastal Fisheries officers of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department will attend the First Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries (RTMCF) in Noumea, New Caledonia. The meeting will start on the 28th of November and run for a period of five days. The primary aim of the RTMCF is to improve coastal fisheries management and development around the region and give coastal fisheries officers a chance to share information and lessons learned with their colleagues from other Pacific countries.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will host the RTMCF meeting at its headquarters. The meeting was proposed by Tuvalu at the SPC Heads of Fisheries Meeting in March this year to provide a forum for discussion of some of the most important coastal fisheries-related concerns. This year the meeting will focus on data collection and eMonitoring, but it is hoped that the meeting becomes an annual event and that in future meetings a wide range of topics can be discussed. Importantly, this gives the coastal fisheries staff a chance to interact on a technical level, find out more about programmes in other countries and gain experience in broader aspects of fisheries, including regional and international agreements. Because this is will provide such an important learning experience for all who attend, both senior and junior officers will attend.

The participation of the 7 Coastal Fisheries Officers will help grow their capability and ability to deliver programmed outcomes under the TFD Annual Work Plan. It will also allow them to become part of what we hope will be an annual exchange within the region, helping to build up coastal fisheries capability for all countries.

Closed: Tuvalu Fisheries Department: 3 Vacant Posts (5/12/17)

November 24, 2017 Matelina Stuart Vacancies Jobs, Management

The Tuvalu Fisheries Department of the Government of Tuvalu is inviting suitably qualified Tuvalu citizens to fill three vacant positions within the Fisheries Department.

Please click on the above vacant post texts to get full details on job descriptions and important notices, or contact the Public Service Commission office via Telephone number 688 20110 during working hours only.

All interested applicants should address their applications to the Secretary office of the Prime Minister.

All application letters or cover letter are to be submitted together with a Form P2, a curriculum vitae, certified transcripts of qualifications, certificate and transcript of recognised institutions to the office of the Public Service Commission no later than 4pm on Tuesday the 5th of December 2017.

FRFSP: Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan to be launched in December

November 15, 2017 Matelina Stuart Coastal Coastal, Management, MPA

The Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan (FRFSP) has been under development most of this year. The plan was formulated through extensive consultations with communities, leaders, the Funafuti Island Council and interest groups and is now ready to be launched on 14th December at Tausoa Lima in Funafuti. The plan is a culmination of several years work: 2015-2016 establishing creel, ciguatera, boat and other surveys to inform the design; 2017 during which the bulk of the consultations occurred and implementation will begin in 2018. It is expected the FRFSP will reverse the current decline in Reef Fisheries, recover stressed stocks and habitats and lead to better prosperity for fishers and the community as a whole.

The FRFSP is not simply a fisheries management plan focused on ensuring sustainable use of fished resources, but embodies a whole-atoll approach which recognises the role of people and healthy ecosystems in fisheries and adaptively responds to change. Focusing on smart use of the already established Funafuti Conservation Area (FCA), avoiding the introduction of too many complex rules and seeking to preserve and enhance livelihoods and food and nutrition security for Tuvaluans living in Funafuti, the FRFSP has been designed to ensure reef fisheries recover to more productive levels. The most difficult aspect of the plan to understand is that a reduction in fishing pressure will within a short time (a few years) lead to greater productivity with less future fishing effort.

As part of its work, the Coastal Fisheries Section of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department has been carrying out resource assessments and monitoring to provide the information needed for management. Creel surveys (of fisher’s landed catches) provide information on the fishers, the resources being caught and the effort required in a way that can be used to assess the health of the fishery. As part of the creel survey, data on fish lengths were compared with known values of size at maturity for 22 species to provide an indicator to assess whether the resources were overfished. Fishes were considered overfished if 50% or more of the animals landed were smaller than the size at maturity. The results of the first Creel Report in September 2016 showed that coastal fisheries in Funafuti are overfished. Of the species that were assessed 60% of species had 50% or more of the catch below the size at maturity. This means that the fishes are being caught and removed from the population before they could reproduce. The main fishes showing strong signs of overfishing in Funafuti included acanthurids (pone), carangids (ulua, kamai), serranids (gatala), lethrinids (noto) and lutjanids (taea).

Without management of the fisheries and the ecosystems that support them, Funafuti will become increasingly barren and fish stocks will decline further, driving people to more imported foods, loss of food sovereignty (control of the food supply) and greater problems with non-communicable diseases. A plan for better stewardship could put a stop to this decline and set a path to healthier and more productive fisheries. In response to this clear need to address overfishing in Funafuti’s reef fisheries, the Fisheries Department began consulting with fishers, leaders and the community to develop a management plan capable of reversing the declines and restoring the fisheries to a more productive state.

This stewardship plan arose out of those consultations and provides the structure to enable people to understand and monitor threats to the resources and identify solutions. This sets up a framework to enable all groups to work together to ensure that Funafuti’s reef fisheries become healthy and productive, that the human population can thrive, and the atoll is a beautiful and safe place to live.

The Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan (FRFSP) aims to reverse these problems and increase the supply of fished resources through protecting breeding populations of fishes and reversing at least some of the ecosystem damage. It also seeks to involve all stakeholders in a meaningful way and will work on adaptive management principles allowing for adjustments to the plan based on evidence from careful monitoring of the state of the resources as actions are put in place. The main strategies are:

Strengthening the Funafuti Conservations Area so that its potential benefits become a reality protecting spawning adults, allowing juveniles to grow and promoting spill over of fishes into other parts of the lagoon, increasing resilience of the fisheries;
Limiting the size of fishes that can be taken by fishing to ensure that every fish can breed at least once in all other parts of the atoll;
Targeting pelagic and offshore fisheries more to reduce some of the pressure on reef fishes; and
Improving information, involvement by the community and state of the ecosystems on which the fisheries depend.

The FRFSP will primarily involve the Tuvalu Fisheries Department, the Funafuti Kaupule and the Fishermen of Funafuti (including those from outer islands living here). Implementation of the plan will use funds from government and a range of other source. It is envisaged that similar though more simplified plans will be developed for the outer islands in the future.

Latest Department Metronome Trip : A milestone in the annual work plan

September 12, 2017 Matelina Stuart Admin, Coastal, Oceanic, Uncategorized Fisheries, Kaupule, Management, Meeting, Monitoring, Outer islands, Surveys

Seven Tuvalu Fisheries Department (TFD) officers carried out one of the regular outer islands ‘Metronome’ trips during August. This trip was to the southern islands (Nukulaelae & Niulakita), to liaise with the Kaupule (island council) members and the communities and to carry out fisheries work programme activities. The team was away for one week, from 20-27 August 2017. The officers involved included 4 Coastal staff, 2 Oceanic staff and 1 from the Administration Section of the Department. The team spent 2-3 days on each island.

The Coastal team conducted refresher training on creel surveys with the Outer Island Data Collectors (OIDCs), as well as augmenting the data collected, and creating an additional dataset for comparison with the OIDC data. Information was also collected on Ciguatera Fish Poisoning cases, information needed for developing fisheries island profiles. Consultations with the Kaupule and the community centred on monitoring and management of coastal reef resources. This is the sixth Metronome trip since this type of monitoring was begun in 2016 and is part of an ongoing commitment by the coastal section as part of its annual work plans.

During the trip, 2 officers from the Oceanic Section conducted a workshop on vessel sightings. This is an issue often raised by the communities in the remote islands of Tuvalu, with people expressing concern that fishing vessels seem to be resulting in the loss of their marine resources. The community people of the visited islands pointed out that “the Tuvalu fisheries department should take cautious of fishing vessels within the Tuvalu EEZ, these fishing vessels are responsible for the decline of marine resources within our islands”.The southern islands community and Kaupule asked many questions, and views and issues regarding the management of coastal reef resources as well as on vessel sightings were discussed. There was also an addition of documents to the Fisheries library and archive collected from Nukulaelae Island. The visited islands were asked to report any fisheries-related events or activities on their islands to the TFD so they could be included in the website and newsletter.

The team encountered some difficult conditions during the trip with a tender boat almost capsizing when it was hit by a wave in the reef channel at Niulakita. The waters around that island are known to be rough, so the metronome trips can at times be difficult and staff need to be dedicated to ensuring food security for Tuvalu’s communities!

The final Metronome trip for 2017 to the northern islands will be run from the end of September. This trip, the Niutao, Nanumaga and Nanumea will focus on similar work on on-going monitoring and consultations as part of TDF’s commitment to ensuring fisheries issues are addressed on all islands of the country, and not just Funafuti.

3rd Fisheries Monitoring & Management Consultation with Funafuti Community FMMC3

August 14, 2017 Matelina Stuart Coastal Fisheries, Funafuti, Kaupule, Management, Meeting, Monitoring

Coastal Fisheries staff of the Tuvalu Fisheries Department (TFD) held the third fisheries monitoring & management consultation FMMC3 with the Funafuti community and Fishermen of Funafuti Association FOFA. The meeting was held on the 3rd of August 2017 at the Tausoalima Falekaupule with the primary aim of discussing options and obtaining feedback on management of the Funafuti reef fisheries and the development of a comprehensive Stewardship Plan (FRFSP). The Fisheries Monitoring & Management Consultations (this being FMMC3) aim to ensure the community is an integral part of the development of the FRFSP which aims to restore the productivity of Funafuti’s coastal fisheries to higher levels. The reef fisheries are currently in a poor state and it is expected that with measures designed to protect reproduction, including strengthening of the Funafuti Conservation Area, size limits for certain species and promotion of fishing offshore, that the fish available for catching will be greatly increased.

The Funafuti community and representatives of other groups who attended the meeting, showed their gratitude with progress to date and were generally in agreement with the plan as it has been developed with their inputs since February of this year. The draft Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan has now been drafted and will, in the coming months be finalised with continuing consultations. TFD, Funafuti Kaupule and representatives from related projects have agreed to meet again to create an action plan and budget for the activities developed in the stewardship plan and 3rd FMMC. Another consultation, FMMC4, will be held later in late October 2017 to discuss on the work plan and budget.