Coastal fisheries dominates Pacific agenda

New approaches to old ideas to improve coastal fisheries management in Pacific Island countries and territories dominated decisions of the 10th Pacific Islands Heads of Fisheries meeting that recently concluded in Noumea, New Caledonia.

Attended by over 90 delegates and observers from member countries of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and partner organisations, the three-yearly event discussed progress on coastal and oceanic fisheries issues.

Speaking at the opening of the four-day meeting the Director-General of SPC, Dr. Colin Tukuitonga, highlighted the role national fisheries administrations could play in the lives of coastal communities in the region.

“Ineffective coastal fisheries management is becoming a real threat to the sustainability of Pacific fisheries, as it is these fisheries that currently provide Pacific Islanders with most of their nutrition and employment in the fisheries sector.”

In a move to immediately maintain food security and livelihoods in coastal communities delegates and observers supported aquaculture and marine-based alternatives, and identified fisheries economics, post-harvest methods, aquaculture policy development, and improved coastal fisheries governance legislation as areas countries and territories would look to SPC for assistance with.

Further discussions on coastal fisheries centred on the New Song initiative with feedback provided on potential national and local responses to implementation issues, and suggestions of new activities and amendments. The focus continued with calls for support for community engagement activities and agreement on a path to implement the 2016 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders decision on coastal fisheries.

The meeting also sought to improve transparency in programme planning, reconcile different Pacific regional marine and fisheries initiatives, discussed the status and requirements of agriculture and fisheries statistics and data collection, the need for an expanded marine specimen bank, and expressed support for fisheries economics, recent work with sea cucumbers in Papua New Guinea, and work on oceanic fisheries.

Contributions and presentations by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, and other partner organisations were acknowledged before the meeting concluded on 17th March.

More information can be found at http://www.spc.int/blog/heads-of-fisheries-call-to-action-on-sustainable...