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Vanuatu Fishery Resource Profiles

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Vanuatu Fishery Resource Profiles ISSN 1818-5614 Vanuatu fishery resource profiles By Moses John Amos IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no.49 Global United Nations Pacific Regional Environment Development Environment Facility Programme Programme SPREP IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication data Amos, Moses John Vanuatu fishery resource profiles / by Moses John Amos.- Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2007. viii, 195 p. ; 29 cm. - (IWP-Pacific Technical report, ISSN 1818-5614 ; no.49). ISBN: 978-982-04-0372-7 1. Fisheries – Management – Vanuatu. 2. Fisheries - Economic aspects – Vanuatu. 3. Fisheries – Hydrologic factors – Vanuatu. 4. Fisheries – Law and legislation – Vanuatu. 5. Fisheries – Research – Vanuatu. 6. Fisheries – Resources – Vanuatu. I. International Waters Project (IWP). II. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). III. Title. IV. Series. 338.3727 This report (originally written in 2004) was produced by SPREP’s International Waters Project, which is implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the International Waters of the Pacific Small Island Developing States, with funding from the Global Environment Facility. This study was funded by the International Waters Project. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the publisher. Cover design by SPREP's Publication Unit Editing and layout: Mark Smaalders, IWP editorial consultant SPREP PO BOX 240, Apia Samoa Email: [email protected] T: +685 21 929 F: +685 20 231 Website: www.sprep.org © Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Government of Vanuatu, 2007 All rights for commercial/for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPREP authorises the partial reproduction of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPREP and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPREP artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. ii Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms................................................................................................. vi Preface ..................................................................................................................................... vii Executive summary .................................................................................................................. 1 1 Country, economy, fisheries management agencies...................................................... 3 1.1 Land ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Sea................................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 People........................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Government ................................................................................................................. 4 1.5 Economy ...................................................................................................................... 6 2 National Development Plans ........................................................................................... 7 3 Institutions/agencies governing marine resources ...................................................... 10 3.1 Fisheries Department ................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Environment Unit ...................................................................................................... 10 4 Fisheries resource management.................................................................................... 11 4.1 Customary marine tenure........................................................................................... 12 4.2 Tuna Management Plan ............................................................................................. 13 5 Marine resource legislation ........................................................................................... 14 5.1 Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu ................................................................... 14 5.2 Maritime Zones Act 1981 [CAP. 138]....................................................................... 14 5.3 Fisheries Act 1982 [CAP. 158] (currently under review).......................................... 14 5.4 Fisheries Regulations Order No. 49 of 1983 ............................................................. 15 5.5 Foreshore Development Act [CAP. 90]..................................................................... 16 5.6 Environment Act........................................................................................................ 16 5.7 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ................................................................................................................................ 16 5.8 Decentralization Act .................................................................................................. 17 6 Fisheries sector overview............................................................................................... 17 7 Physical geography ........................................................................................................ 18 7.1 Geological structure and bathymetry......................................................................... 18 7.2 Reefs and mangroves................................................................................................. 18 8 Climate ............................................................................................................................ 19 9 Crustaceans..................................................................................................................... 21 9.1 Coconut Crab ............................................................................................................. 21 9.2 Lobsters...................................................................................................................... 27 9.3 Freshwater prawns ..................................................................................................... 31 9.4 Land crabs.................................................................................................................. 33 9.5 Deepwater shrimp ...................................................................................................... 34 10 Finfish (Osteichthyes).................................................................................................... 37 10.1 Deepwater bottomfish................................................................................................ 37 10.2 Tunas.......................................................................................................................... 54 10.3 Billfish ....................................................................................................................... 73 11 Other oceanic pelagic fish.............................................................................................. 78 iii 11.1 Dolphinfish, rainbow runner, wahoo and barracuda...................................................78 11.2 Baitfish (small pelagics) .............................................................................................80 11.3 Aquarium fish (marine) ..............................................................................................86 11.4 Shallow water reef fish ...............................................................................................93 11.5 Chondrichthyes.........................................................................................................100 14 Flora ...............................................................................................................................102 14.1 Mangroves ................................................................................................................102 15 Molluscs .........................................................................................................................105 15.1 Trochus .....................................................................................................................105 15.2 Green snail................................................................................................................110 15.3 Giant clams ...............................................................................................................113 15.4 Oysters ......................................................................................................................119 15.5 Ornamental (specimen) shells...................................................................................122 15.6 Other bivalves...........................................................................................................123 15.7 Octopuses and squids................................................................................................124 16 Species with aquaculture potential..............................................................................126 16.1 The resource..............................................................................................................126 16.2 Distribution...............................................................................................................126
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