Number 116 (January-March 2006)
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 France, Australia and New Zealand
Editorial
Two important meetings were held during the first quarter of 2006. The fifth Heads of Fisheries (HOF) meeting took place at SPC’s headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia from 3 to 7 April. The yearly HOF meeting is the sole occasion that enables those in charge of managing fisheries in the Pacific Islands to gather and examine the issues and problems affecting fisheries and marine resources, share experiences with colleagues, and provide invaluable advice and guidance to SPC's Marine Resources Division. The outcomes of this meeting can be found in this newsletter from pages 2 to 7.
An SPC/Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) workshop on Pacific Island regional deep-sea bottom trawling and high-seas biodiversity conservation was also held in Noumea from 29 to 30 March. Fisheries managers from SPC and FFA, together with specialists from intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies met informally to consider bottom trawling and protection of biodiversity in the high seas in the context of the 2005 Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific Community Conference. More information on the outcomes of this workshop can be found, annexed to the Heads of Fisheries report on agreed outcomes.
Jean-Paul Gaudechoux
Fisheries Information Adviser
In this issue
SPC ACTIVITIES
Fifth Heads of Fisheries Meeting
Fisheries Development Section
• Preparations for practical module of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Officer's Course in Vanuatu
• Institutional strengthening with the Tonga Fisheries Department
• Regional seminar and workshop on implementing the STCW-F Convention
• Technical assistance to New Caledonia's longline companies
• Technical assistance provided to the Marshall Islands
• DEVFISH Project update
• Summary of tuna fishing associations in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tuvalu
Training Section
• Development of new programmes in sustainable fisheries at the University of the South Pacific (USP)
Aquaculture Section
• Aquaculture activities in Samoa
NEWS FROM IN AND AROUND THE REGION
• Mother-of-pearl on ice: New ceramics might serve in bones and machines
• Kiribati designates large MPA, to be funded by endowment
• Ocean survey reveals tiny carnivorous sponges, eerie dead zone, and more
• The reproduction of bluefin tuna in captivity: Promising first results
• Meeting announcement
FEATURE ARTICLES
Fish for today and tomorrow: Community-based fisheries development and management ensures long-term sustainability, Kim Des Rochers (pdf: 68 KB)
Tools for improved fishing vessel safety: The Torrmolinos Protocol and the STCW-F Convention, Michel Blanc (pdf: 101 KB)
Seamounts and pelagic fisheries interactions under study, Valérie Allain (pdf: 268 KB)
Giant clam fishing on the island of Tubai, Austral Islands, French Polynesia: Between local portrayals, economic necessity and ecological realities, Sébastien Larrue (pdf: 262 KB)