Resource Assessment & Management Survey Manual

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Resource Assessment & Management Survey Manual PNG SEASMART PROGRAM JUNE 2008 Resource Assessment & Management Survey Manual Version Date Modified Lead Version 1.6 30 Aug 2009 RAM Division PNG NFA EcoEZ Inc. Resource Assessment & Management Survey Manual August 2009 Published by: EcoEZ Inc., SEASMART Prog ram PNG RAM Survey Manual | AUGUST 2009 ii Table of Contents Acronyms ….……………………………………………… .................................................... v Background …………………………………………. ........................................................... 1 Area Selection and Public Awareness ……………. ........................................................ 3 . Rapid Resource Assessement (RRA) ....................................................................... 4 . Full Resource Assessement (FRA) ........................................................................... 4 Preparation of the Survey ………………………………. ................................................... 5 . Survey Team Selection and Organization ................................................................. 5 . RAM Survey Equipment and Materials ...................................................................... 6 Manta Tow Survey (Optional)……………………… ........................................................ 13 . Logistics ................................................................................................................... 13 . Manta Tow Site Selection ........................................................................................ 17 Belt Transect Survey …………………………………… ................................................... 18 . Area Cover and Duration of the Survey ................................................................... 18 . Categories of RAM Survey ...................................................................................... 20 . Laying Down the Transect Line (100 meters long) .................................................. 21 . Naming the Dive Site ............................................................................................... 23 . Survey of Aquarium Fish Species ............................................................................ 23 . Survey of Aquarium Invertebrates and Corals Species ........................................... 24 . Survey on Corals, Zoanthids, Coralliomorpharians and other Polyps for Aquarium 31 Sea Food Survey ………………………………………... ................................................... 33 . Fish and Invertebrate Food Survey ......................................................................... 33 . Food Fish ................................................................................................................. 33 . Other Food Fish ....................................................................................................... 33 . Sea Cucumber (Beche de Mer) Survey ................................................................... 34 . Other Endangered Species...................................................................................... 36 Data Banking and Analysis……………………. .............................................................. 37 . Determining Total Allowable Catch for Aquarium Fish and Invertebrates in a new open area/s. ............................................................................................................. 37 . Calculating Total Stock Abundances ....................................................................... 38 . Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Based on MAQTRAC calculations. ........................... 38 . Marine Aquarium target classifications based on Ecology and their TAC implementation ......................................................................................................... 40 Marine Aquarium Survey Data Storage ……………. .................................................... 46 Equipment Record Maintenance and Inventory……. .................................................. 47 . Scientific Diving ........................................................................................................ 47 Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 52 Identification References ……………………………….. ................................................. 53 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 54 ListPNG RAMof TablesSurvey Manual | AUGUST 2009 iii Table 1: Types of marine habitat zone with survey equipment used during the RAM Survey .......................................................................... 11 Table 2: Printed data sheets used by observers to record manta tow data ................. 16 Table 3: Type of marine habitat and reef zone with the type of data collected ............ 22 Table 4: List of invertebrates under the trade to be measured ..................................... 24 Table 5: Coral reef health substratum survey categories and code ............................. 27 Table 6: Coral data sheet for coral survey .................................................................... 32 Table 7: Food Fish data sheet ...................................................................................... 34 Table 8: Beche-de-mer data sheet................................................................................ 35 Table 9: List of limited to catch marine aquarium species ............................................ 43 Table 10: RAM inventory equipment................................................................................ 50 Table 11: RAM Equipment Maintenance Records. .......................................................... 50 List of Figures Figure 1: Type of anchors that will lock up in sand, muddy and rocky substrates. ........ 10 Figure 2: Always anchor at non-living reef structure, such as sand, mud, or rocks/dead corals. Always check the anchor to avoid the damage to corals. ............................................................................................ 10 Figure 3: Observer towed by boat over the reefs ........................................................... 14 Figure 4: Diagrammatic representations of coral cover categories ................................ 15 Figure 5: Sample of dive sites for RRA and FRA. .......................................................... 19 Figure 6: Basic Resource and Management Survey (imaginary tunnel underwater) .... 22 Figure 7: RAM survey dive sites in different habitats and reef zones ............................ 23 Figure 8: Marine non-coral invertebrates to be measured during RAM survey. ............ 24 List of Appendices Appendix 1: Marine Aquarium Species Masterlist ............................................................ 55 Appendix 2: Marine Aquarium Invertebrates List .............................................................. 68 Appendix 3: Marine Aquarium Hard and Soft Corals List traded ...................................... 75 Appendix 4: Dive Site Description Table .......................................................................... 78 Appendix 5: Spreadsheet Sample for inputting invertebrates .......................................... 81 Appendix 6: Spreadsheet sample for transcribing Vertebrates data. ............................... 82 Appendix 7: Marine Aquarium Coral Data Sheets ............................................................ 82 Appendix 8: Spreadsheet sample substrates data sheet ................................................. 84 Appendix 9: Seafoods Data Sheets .................................................................................. 86 Appendix 10: Beche de Mer Data Sheets ......................................................................... 87 Appendix 11: EcoEZ Diving Policy .................................................................................... 88 PNG RAM Survey Manual | AUGUST 2009 iv Acronyms ….……………………………………………… RAM Resource Assessment & Management NFA National Fisheries Authority MAQTRAC Marine Aquarium Trade Coral Reef Monitoring Protocol FMA Fishery Management Area FRA Full Resource Assessment FMAP Fishery Management Area Plan GCRMN Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network GPS Global Positioning System GIS Geographic Information System CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort SSC Site Selection Criteria PNG RAM Survey Manual | AUGUST 2009 v Chapter 1 Background …………………………………………. Papua New Guinea reefs are under pressure from different anthropogenic factors including pollutions, over fishing, sedimentations, and other damaging activities but little is known about the status of the PNG coral reefs. There is little to no knowledge of the health of thousands of kilometers in PNG reefs. The PNG National Authority (NFA) and ECOEZ INC. are currently working around the country aim to achieve knowledge on how to manage the reefs and the same time the fishermen can have a livelihood like marine aquarium fishing. This manual was born out of ECOEZ under SEASMART Program with the aim to continue furthering knowledge about under-researched marine areas for opening marine aquarium fishing around PNG with developing scientific methods to monitor and manage coral reef fisheries for fish and invertebrates and to determine the level of catch could be sustainable. Not only this, it’s included to monitor the marine foods and Sea Cucumber (Beche de mer) stocks. However, like any other fisheries in the developing countries, the challenges will lie in conceptualizing the scientific framework and the reasonable implementation for such system with the view of long-term sustainability.
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