STATE OF EMERGENCY (SOE) REGULATIONS AND ORDERS

The Tuvalu Fisheries Director together with senior Fisheries staff, witnessed the signing of the contracts of five newly recruited Community Fisheries Officers (CFOs) as well as the awarding of Sea Safety Train the Trainer Certificates for the 10 participants, at the Fisheries office this morning at 10 am.

There are 7 new CFO’s and while five have signed their contracts today, the other two will sign later in the week when they arrive from their home islands.

At the same time, the Director of Fisheries presented the 10 officers with their certificates of participation in the Sea Safety Train the Trainer Training. This online training was arranged by FAO for participants from Fisheries, TMTI and other agencies involved in small boat safety.

The Director of Fisheries, Samasoni Finikaso said, “A big thank you to New Zealand and the TFSP for providing financial assistance and backing this plan to have a CFO in each of the outer islands. The TFD is confident that these newly recruited officers will be a benefit to each of their respective islands to improve the development and management of outer islands fisheries”.

This week will involve some team building for the CFOs, and preparing materials and equipment to be shipped to the outer islands. The next two weeks of training will be conducted at Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute TMTI, followed by four weeks of briefings in the TFD office; and then three weeks of practical training in FADs and FAD fishing, fish processing and fisheries data collection.

The Program ended with refreshments prepared by the Fisheries Social Committee.

Closed: Application for Nukulaelae Data Collector for the Tuvalu Fisheries Department

September 10, 2021September 20, 2021 Matelina Stuart Coastal, Vacancies Coastal, Data, Fisheries, Fisheries Department, Jobs, TFD

The Tuvalu Fisheries Department is inviting suitably qualified Tuvalu citizens of a minimum age of 18 years to fill the vacant position of Outer Island Data Collectors (OIDCs) for the island of NUKULAELAE.

Applicants must be physically and mentally fit and should be permanent residents of the island of Nukulaelae, as the selection will be island-based. The objective of the recruitment is to create a team of data collectors to collect information on fishing activities and catches on the islands of Tuvalu on behalf of the Fisheries Department.

Scope of Work

Each data collector will be responsible for organising his/her time to interview fishermen, collect data and properly measure and weigh all fishes caught and landed by fishermen in sample landings. All data collected will be transmitted to the Tuvalu Fisheries Department by hard copy on each trip of the inter-islands shipping services and where possible electronically.

Data Collectors are under the supervision of the Principal Fisheries Officer (PFO): Coastal Fisheries and Senior Fisheries Officer (SFO): Management (Outer Islands) and their responsibilities will include:

Carrying out regular data collections of all fisheries activities being undertaken on the assigned island through meeting fishers as they land their catch, and recording all data required in English or/and Tuvaluan;
Undertaking training in Funafuti as may be required by the PFO or SFO;
Maintain all equipment and report losses, or breakages immediately with minimal disruptions;
Undertake regular self-training using books, electronic or other sources to learn the scientific names of all fished resources, continuously improving personal knowledge as time goes on;
Carefully maintaining all data collected, checking them, ensuring they are complete, storing them safely and sending them to Funafuti with each vessel trip to the island;
Attending meetings with fishers, the Kaupule, Falekaupule or community held by Coastal staff from Funafuti during their regular metronome trips;
Assisting with logistics and surveys being carried out by Coastal Staff during their regular metronome trips;
Carrying out any other fisheries-related tasks as may be assigned by the PFO or SFO.

Qualifications & Experience

Applicants are required to have reached Form 4 level from a recognized secondary school;
The ability and willingness to organise sampling schedules within the work time allocated, and efficiently gather data from fisher’s landing their catches at night or very early morning;
Willingness to continuously improve their ability to scientifically identify all fished species and do on-going work;
Possess outstanding data collection skills to ensure data are accurate and fully recorded;
Good inter-personal communication skills;
Good command of written English and the ability to translate Tuvaluan on-the-fly to English for recording responses on the datasheets;
Ability to meet deadlines; and,
Any kind of tertiary qualification in science, especially biology, previous work-experience in any type of data collection, particularly in a fisheries-related field is an advantage.

Detailed terms of reference of these positions, remuneration package and other relevant information are available for collection at the Coastal Management Unit of the Fisheries Department Office or by sending an email to samfinikaso70@gmail.com.

All applications are required to be addressed to the Director of Fisheries, Tuvalu Fisheries Department, Teone, Funafuti before 4:00 pm on 17th September 2021 by either hard copy or email to samfinikaso70@gmail.com before the closing date and time.

Application Checklist

Please ensure you attach all the following information as your application:

Application cover letter outlining your experience and suitability for the post
Curriculum Vitae (CV) including the following headings:
- Name, Expertise, Nationality, Address & contacts
- Qualifications: highest school, certificates and other
- Languages and level of proficiency (Native, Excellent, Good, Basic)
- Affiliations if any (e.g. membership to associations, NGOs)
- Countries of work experience, if any
- Employment history, including past job and projects
- Names of 2-3 referees
Transcripts of Education, Qualifications, Certificates, etc.

Newly recruited fisheries officers for Outer-island communities.

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021 Matelina Stuart Admin, Operations & Development, Uncategorized FADs, Fisheries, Fisheries Department, Jobs, New Zealand, Operation & Development, Outer islands, Projects, TFD, TFSP2, TMTI, Training

7 new community fisheries officers have been recruited by the TFD to manage and develop community fisheries in each of Tuvalu’s main outer islands.

The seven new CFOs and the island that will be their work base, are:

Panapa Tofiga – Nanumea

Ielemia Kapua – Nanumaga

Savelio Kaveni – Niutao

Sione Tepaa – Nui

Amoga Fuafanua – Nukufetau

Alama Sione – Vaitupu &,

Isaako Teoli – Nukulaelae.

The 7 new CFO’s will start with a training program of around 10 weeks. Depending on travel arrangements, this will begin on 13^th or 20th September through to the end of November this year. The program includes two weeks of training at the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute TMTI, four weeks of training in the TFD office and three weeks of practical training in FADs and FAD fishing, fish processing and fisheries data collection.

Tuvalu Fisheries Advisor, Michael Batty said that the CFOs are a new initiative to strengthen the outreach of the Fisheries Department and provide a service to fishermen and the community. It also adds to the employment opportunities for young people in the outer islands.

These new positions will be under three-year contracts funded by the Tuvalu Fisheries Support Programme Phase 2, TFSP2 and to be continued after that through government funding if possible.

Fishers on Tuvalu Northern Island boost their understanding of new fishing practices by utilizing new fishing gear

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 Matelina Stuart Uncategorized

Four TFD staff travelled on the old RV Manaui early this month to conduct new fishing methods training to 20 fishermen on each remote northern island of Tuvalu included, Nanumaga, Nanumea and Niutao in order to further their knowledge on new fishing methods utilizing new fishing gears provided by the Overseas Fisheries Cooperative Foundations OFCF, Japan. These new fishing techniques were developed to adapt local fishers so that they might also specialise in pelagic species instead of fishing and disrupting inshore marine resources.

The training began with the in-class session with tackle handed out to each fisherman as well they were taught on the installation of every gear. The second portion of the training is where fishermen went out to sea on the old RV Manaui from 2 am to 2 pm for a practical on four forms of fishing, includes vertical longliner fishing, squid fishing, electric reel fishing and mid-water trawling utilizing their new fishing gears.

Nelly Seniola, Fisheries Operation & the development Training Officer, stated, “This fishing trip training is a five-yr program. The govt of Tuvalu is working in collaboration with the OFCF project in Japan on the supplying latest fishing gear”.

‘Nukulaelae and Vaitupu were the first islands to place this training into practice,’ he added.

One of the participants of the training, a fisherman from Nanumea commented that he did learn a lot of new things like fitting new fishing gears and therefore the most vital piece is that he can do other sorts of fishing methods rather than just trolling because it was the principal sort of fishing that they used to which is expensive and time consumed.

Training began on Nanumaga Island, followed by Nanumea and finally on Niutao Island. The training was progressively completed in the week along the island of Niutao where TFD personnel have returned safely back to the capital, Funafuti, today Sunday, August 29th.

Request for Quotations: Local Construction Company to build a Seawall to the Lagoon side of TFD Office

August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 Fetau Latasi Vacancies MFAT, New Zealand, TFD, TFSP2

The Tuvalu Fisheries Department (TFD), implementing the New Zealand funded Tuvalu Fisheries Support Programme Phase 2, is seeking quotations from suitably qualified and experienced local building companies for some minor construction work to improve the area on the lagoon side of the TFD Office at Teone.

Please see the attached documents for details:

1. Request for quotations with bid and contract form;

2. Outline drawings of the work;

3. A list of materials that will be provided by the TFD;

Or you can pick up a set of these documents free of charge at the TFD Office.

Request for Quotations: Consultancy on Development of a Domestic Tuna longline fishery

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Fetau Latasi Oceanic, Vacancies MFAT, New Zealand, TFD, TFSP2

The Tuvalu Fisheries Department (TFD), implementing the New Zealand funded Tuvalu Fisheries Support Programme Phase 2 (TFSP2), is seeking quotations from suitably qualified and experienced consultants to advise on the options for development of a domestic tuna longline fishery operating mainly in the Tuvalu EEZ.

Details are provided in the terms of reference (TOR) attached in the following link – https://tuvalufisheries.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Request-for-Quotations-Consultancy-on-Longline-Development.pdf

Tender for shore-based radar equipment

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Fetau Latasi Vacancies MFAT, New Zealand, TFSP2

The Tuvalu Fisheries Support Programme Phase 2 (TFSP2) project is seeking tenders for two shore-based radar systems for monitoring of fisheries activities in Funafuti lagoon. Tenders close on 25^th August.

Please see the attached invitation in this link (https://tuvalufisheries.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TFD-Tender-Marine-Radar.pdf) for bids which includes contact details for more information.”

New Zealand Funded TFSP2 holds its first Governance Committee Meeting

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 Fetau Latasi Admin, Uncategorized MFAT, New Zealand, TFSP2

The New Zealand funded Tuvalu Fisheries Support Programme Phase Two (TFSP2), which started in January this year, recently held its first six-monthly Governance Committee meeting to review progress with the project. The meeting, between senior officials of the Tuvalu Ministry of Fisheries and Trade and New Zealand’s MFAT was held by video conference on 27^th July.

The meeting noted that the first few months of the project have mainly been devoted to procurement and recruitment activities, but it is now well placed to make progress with a number of important activities in the next six months. These include:

Fibreglass boatbuilding – construction of a mold and five new fibreglass trolling skiffs, and training of local boatbuilders in how to make them – materials and tools have been received in Tuvalu and work will start as soon as the first batch of FAO canoes are completed.
Community Fisheries Officers for 7 outer islands – advertisement has closed and candidates in four islands have completed the pre-selection test. Once all CFOs have been selected, they will do a 10-week training course in Funafuti.
A study of new surveillance technology – the study has been completed and tender documents are now ready for supply of two shore-based radar systems to monitor transhipment in the lagoon and the Funafuti Conservation Area. A trial of satellite surveillance of the EEZ is also planned.
Construction of a seawall and hard standing on the lagoon side of the Fisheries Office – designs have been completed and materials ordered;
Construction of a mariculture hatchery at the Teone site – designs completed and building materials ordered; tanks, pumps and pipework are already on site.

The programme also supports the position of Fisheries Adviser in Tuvalu, and has just recruited a new Inshore Fisheries Adviser to work with the Coastal Section of the Fisheries Department.

The committee considered a number of studies and consultancies which had been planned for the first year of the project, but have been difficult to arrange due to restrictions on travel during the COVID pandemic. The Committee agreed that all except one of these studies should be kept on hold until the end of the year, in the hope that borders may reopen in 2022.

The Director of Fisheries Mr Samasoni Finikaso, on behalf of the government of Tuvalu, thanked his colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for New Zealand’s continuing support to the Fisheries sector in Tuvalu. This will be particularly important in the months ahead as the World Bank PROP project comes to an end.

Launching of the first new paddling canoe at Fisheries

July 27, 2021August 11, 2021 Matelina Stuart Admin FAO, Fisheries, Fisheries Department, Projects, TFD

An FAO boat builder, Tuvaluan boat builder and six boatbuilding trainees launched the first new paddling canoe this morning (27th July), at the Tuvalu Fisheries jetty at Teone. These canoes are being built for the purpose of replacing canoes destroyed by cyclone Tino in the outer islands, as well as providing some extra canoes for use by communities on each remote island of Tuvalu.

The canoe project targeted building 45 paddling canoes this year. It has been delayed by problems with the delivery of tools and materials due to COVID19, but the team have managed to make some progress with what has been available to them. The first new paddling was launched today and four more are nearly ready.

When these first five have been completed, the team will then switch to making fibreglass boats, and fibreglass fish driers while waiting for more canoe materials to be delivered. They will then complete the other 40 canoes quite quickly.

Mike Batty, Fisheries Adviser said, “The canoe project is making progress, despite problems with the delivery of materials to Tuvalu. TFD is building capacity to make boats of different designs and from different materials here in Tuvalu. This creates jobs, helps keep money in the local economy, and provides high-quality boats that can be made and repaired locally”.

The canoes are made from modern materials (plywood and epoxy glues and resins) so they are lighter than traditional canoes as well as lasting longer, and there is no need to cut down trees.