Papua New Guinea: Fisher communities living along the coastlines and islands of the Bismarck Sea in northwest Papua New Guinea started to receive new engine-mounted craft boats. The new equipment helps improve communities' livelihood and well-being, which mainly depends on coastal fishing.The support, provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is part of the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme to drive the sustainable development of agri-food value chains, improve diets, enrich nutrition, and support food security in rural communities.

Under this work plan, eight 23 ft craft boats with 40 HP outboard motor engines, and fishing and safety gears were recently handed over to coastal and island fishing groups in Vanimo-Green and Aitape-Lumi districts of West Sepik Province. The recipient groups were selected based on the criteria agreed upon between the Provincial Fisheries and Marine Resources Office and the EU-STREIT PNG programme.

“For the coastal and island people of the Sepik Region, engine-mounted crafts boats are essential assets as a means of transportation and also for ferrying of processed fish to the town markets and customers,” explained the FAO Fisheries Officer, Mohammed Zakir, adding “the Programme is committed to facilitating the access of fishing communities to markets and assisting them in improving existing transport safety and equipment.” “This intervention will help to sustainably increase the catch and profitability of fish business while also contributing significantly to food security and nutrition at the household level.”

Among the beneficiaries who received an engine-mounted craft boat was Angela Passingan, the Chairlady of BAMA Women’s Group of Ulau Village, which is located along the coastline of Aitape East LLG. She said, “Through the European Union STREIT PNG Programme, we are able to get this support. The purpose of this boat is to assist our people, especially the mothers, children and youth in the village, with the supply of protein, fish, and also to provide job opportunities in fish capturing and selling for youths who completed Grades 8, 10 and 12 and are doing nothing in the village.”

Appreciating the EU-funded project for the support, the Acting District Administrator for Aitape, Mr Job Tomur, said: “I like to take this time to thank the European Union through the STREIT PNG Programme. Through them, these groups received this support. We must use these boats to catch more fish, transport to market and sell to make more money because there is money in fish that can contribute to grow our economy here.”

Before the handover, FAO coordinated a capacity development training for skippers and crews of fisher groups on ‘basic operations of 2-stroke engines’ so that they can confidently conduct basic troubleshooting and regular service and maintenance for their engines to be sustained in the long run. The upskill training also covered health and safety operations. The participants also learned how to identify and distinguish counterfeit and genuine spare parts, understand different propellers depending on the load, and use specifically manufactured engine oil to mix with the fuel, which is critical to avoid engine problems.

The support by FAO under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, also includes major investment in developing the capacity of the beneficiaries as well as the introduction of improved techniques, equipment and facilities for better production, processing and marketing of fish among fisher communities and fisheries enterprises. Led by FAO, the EU-STREIT PNG Programme is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the country. The Programme focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fisheries value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers.

Source: https://reliefweb.int/report/papua-new-guinea/fao-steps-support-coastal-and-island-fisher-communities-papua-new-guinea

INDONESIA: When it comes to global fisheries, there’s no way to talk about tuna without talking about Indonesia. Nomadic by nature, tuna is also remarkably warm-blooded. It’s a rare trait that unshackles the species from water temperature, allowing the fish to range freely across the world’s oceans. But when it’s time to spawn, the rich tuna stocks in the Indian and Pacific oceans return to the shallow, nutrient-rich Indonesian Archipelago, an ideal environment for tuna growth and reproduction. Its geographic position has made Indonesia a vital spawning ground for tuna, responsible for around 20% of the global catch. In 2021, the country produced 791 000 metric tons, including skipjack, yellowfin, and mackerel tuna. The largest wild-caught seafood export, tuna, is an important economic driver for the country, netting nearly USD 1.5 billion the same year. From large purse seiners that operate away from the coast to the small-scale individuals who catch one fish at a time with hand lines and poles, tuna plays a role in the lives and livelihoods of many Indonesians. So many competing fishers and the absence of a robust management plan has resulted in overfishing and a reduction in stocks. In many of the country’s fishing grounds, tuna is now fully exploited, resulting not only in harm to the environment, but the local communities that rely on the resource. Protecting a fishery with such a wide ocean habitat is complex. It requires regional cooperation between governments, industry, and nonprofit groups. But inside territorial waters, countries have a responsibility to protect their sovereign fisheries, and can act more quickly to protect ocean resources and the communities they support. Indonesia's new tuna harvest strategy is an exemplary model of sustainability leadership on a global scale. In Indonesia, that’s exactly what has happened. Following nearly a decade of collaboration with local and regional fisheries stakeholders, the Indonesian government has announced a new harvest strategy for tuna in its archipelagic waters. The strategy, once implemented, will progressively cut its tuna catch volume by 10% of the 2021 level over the course of three years. It’s a major milestone and an exemplary model of sustainability leadership on a global scale. To get there, the government plans to up its data collection and monitoring efforts and better enforce new and existing regulations. It will work to educate local populations on the benefits of conservation and selectively close fishing grounds to maintain greater balance in the stocks. Led by the Indonesian government, the development and launch of the strategy received support from the Tuna Consortium, a group of organizations working to build a strong enabling environment to sustainably manage Indonesian tuna fisheries. Currently, the consortium is managed by Resonance Global includes experts from MDPI, YKAN, Marine Change, Fair Trade USA And the International Pole & Line Foundation. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation also provided technical guidance and advice to the Indonesian government during this process. Yasmine Simbolon is Director of MDPI. She says that a harvest strategy is crucial for the protection of the global tuna fishery. It can also help small-scale fishers reach international markets. “Tuna serves as a lifeline for millions of people in Indonesia, small-scale fishers in remote areas who rely on tuna catches for their livelihoods. A harvest strategy is a recognized best practice in fisheries management, and it is also required for international market certification through programs like the Marine Stewardship Council,” she says. “With sustainability principles also comes market access, market stability and more predictable stocks.” Indonesia’s harvest strategy also has positive implications beyond its borders. Neighboring countries rely on the same stocks of tuna for their economy and as an available and abundant source of protein. And it provides consumers in Japan, Europe, and the U.S., the largest consumers of seafood worldwide, greater confidence that the tuna they buy is sourced responsibly and supports the health of global fish stocks. This confidence is more important than ever. Recent research suggests that 82% of Americans agree that we have a responsibility to ensure a steady supply of sustainable seafood for future generations. The focus moving forward for Tuna Consortium partners will be to ensure the right conditions are in place for the government to lead the successful implementation of the harvest strategy and develop approaches for both the large and small-scale fishing industry to support improved management.

Source: Walton Family Foundation

PENANG: The 36th INFOFISH Technical and Advisory Board Meeting (TAB 2023) was successfully held from 11 to 14 July 2023 at Jazz Hotel, Penang, Malaysia as a hybrid event. The TAB 2023 had participation from ten of INFOFISH Member Countries which are Fiji, Philippines, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea as physical attendees while Bangladesh, Cambodia, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand as virtual delegations. INFOFISH TAB advises the Governing Council on all technical and economic aspects of INFOFISH activities.

A field trip visit was organised for the delegates on the second day of the meeting to the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS) and WorldFish Headquarters. A short visit was also organised on the last day to a fish feed miller on special request by Papua New Guinea delegates. The visit was to Green Islands Feed Mills operational factory and facilities located at Seberang Perai, Penang.

Source: INFOFISH