Number 112 (January-March 2005)
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
Too often we read about Pacific Island fishermen being lost at sea. Like road safety programmes, there are no quick solutions to reducing the loss of life at sea. It is also difficult to estimate the extent of the problem as most countries in the region don't keep statistics of small boat accidents. SPC and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations have been working closely together to improve the safety of small boats. One way is to increase awareness of sea safety through training programmes. Political will is essential for developing long-term national strategies to enhance sea safety for small vessels.
Jean-Paul Gaudechoux
Fisheries Information Adviser
In this issue
SPC ACTIVITIES
Reef Fisheries Observatory
• Preliminary findings: A snapshot of the condition of coral reefs in Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Tonga and Vanuatu from 2002-2004
Fisheries Development Section
• Finalising field reports for Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea
• Manual and booklet being drafted
• Technical assistance to Nauru
Training Section
• Small fishing business management course offered at Vanuatu Maritime College
• SPC bycatch materials reach Indonesian fishermen
• Fisheries HRD planning in Nauru
Aquaculture Section
• Sustainable aquaculture in Pacific Islands region and northern Australia
• 16th NACA Governing Council Meeting
NEWS FROM IN AND AROUND THE REGION
From lobster flock to lobster feast
Scientists discover how fish evolved to float at different sea depths
A great leap upstream for fish farmers
Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific
FEATURE ARTICLES
FADBase and future directions for ecological studies of FAD-associated fish , Tim Dempster & Marc Taquet (pdf: 226 KB)
SPC training boosts Fiji's fry productionWhat do tuna eat? A tuna diet study, Valérie Allain (pdf: 346 KB)
Small boat sea safety in the Pacific , Marc Smaalders (pdf: 181 KB)
FAD research project: Final results on mooring designs, aggregators and costs , Lindsay Chapman, Ian Bertram & Brendon Pasisi (pdf: 1 MB)
Final stages of WorldFish-SPC sea cucumber project , Steve Purcell (pdf: 211 KB)
Monoculture of the native freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium lar in Vanuatu, and integrated with taro in Wallis and Futuna , Satya Nandlal (pdf: 249 KB)