SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION UNPUBLISHED REPORT No. 10 REPORT ON SECOND VISIT TO KIRIBATI 1 April – 5 September 1984 and 31 October – 19 December 1984 by P. Taumaia Masterfisherman and P. Cusack Fisheries Development Officer South Pacific Commission Noumea, New Caledonia 1997 ii The South Pacific Commission authorises the reproduction of this material, whole or in part, in any form provided appropriate acknowledgement is given This unpublished report forms part of a series compiled by the Capture Section of the South Pacific Commission's Coastal Fisheries Programme. These reports have been produced as a record of individual project activities and country assignments, from materials held within the Section, with the aim of making this valuable information readily accessible. Each report in this series has been compiled within the Capture Section to a technical standard acceptable for release into the public arena. However, they have not been through the full South Pacific Commission editorial process. South Pacific Commission BP D5 98848 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia Tel.: (687) 26 20 00 Fax: (687) 26 38 18 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.spc.org.nc/ Prepared at South Pacific Commission headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia, 1997 iii SUMMARY The South Pacific Commission's Deep Sea Fisheries Development Project (DSFDP) visited the Republic of Kiribati for the second time between April and December 1984. The visit was conducted in two distinct phases; from 1 April to 5 September the Project was based at Tanaea on Tarawa in the Gilbert Group and operated there and at the islands of Abaiang, Abemama, Arorae and Tamana. During the second phase of the visit, after an interval of 7 weeks, the Project transferred to London village at Kiritimati (Christmas Island), in the Northern Line Islands, some 2566 km west and north of Tarawa, and operated from there between 31 October and 19 December of the same year. Because the two phases of the visit were conducted in geographically isolated locations and because the aims were significantly different this report is presented in two sections. Phase I: Tarawa, Abaiang, Abemama, Arorae and Tamana. The central aim of this part of the visit was to conduct training in deep-bottom fishing techniques for fishermen unfamiliar with the method, and to conduct survey fishing to determine the extent of deep-bottom grounds and stocks at Tarawa and four outer islands. In conjunction with these activities, the Masterfisherman was to evaluate the suitability of local canoe designs and advise on their appropriate fitting out to participate in the deep-bottom fishery, and to assess the potential economic viability of the fishery. Twenty-three fishing trips were completed at Tarawa and the other islands aboard a variety of fishing craft. Fifteen of these trips were made aboard canoe designs under evaluation, and most often with two different canoe types fishing in concert on any one trip. Fifty-seven local fishermen, including the members of a government demonstration team, participated in the trips and underwent training to some degree. Fishing effort was concentrated on bottom droplining although a small component of incidental trolling and mid-water handlining was also conducted. A bottom droplining effort of 569 reel hours produced a catch of 901 fish with a total weight of 3370.3 kg. The unsaleable proportion of the catch was high at 34 per cent of the total by weight and the overall catch rate for saleable species a modest 3.9 kg/reel hour. Catch rates varied considerably from island to island, with a high of 7.9 kg/reel hour for saleable species recorded at Abemama, to lows of 0.3 kg/reel hour at Arorae and Tamana. The range in catch rates appeared to be partly attributable to difficulties experienced in obtaining supplies of suitable bait at some sites, but also to the limited extent of deep-bottom grounds evident at islands, such as Arorae and Tamana. However, it is likely that bottom resources were poorer in areas of poor catch rate. The several canoe types evaluated were found to be generally suitable to the fishery although some difficulties with under-powering were noted in particular circumstances. The saleable component of the catch comprised a satisfactory proportion of the valued Lutjanids, or deep-water snappers, of the Etelinae and Apsilinae sub-families (32.1%) and it was concluded on the basis of operations in the areas surveyed that a limited number of small-scale operators using available craft and equipment could enter the fishery successfully so long as present support services were maintained, and augmented to a degree, and the development of the fishery carefully monitored. iv Phase II: Kiritimati The Project's work assignment at Kiritimati included the demonstration of deep-bottom fishing techniques and the conduct of a preliminary survey of deep-bottom fishing grounds and fish stocks. As well, the Masterfisherman was to investigate the potential for utilising the facilities and expertise of Kiribati Marine Export at Kiritimati to establish export markets for the catch taken by this fishing method. Seventeen fishing trips were completed during the seven weeks of the visit. All trips were made aboard a 7 m fibreglass skiff fitted with four of the Project's Western Samoan-type wooden handreels, during which training and survey fishing was conducted at sites to the north and south of the Project base at London village, in the lee of generally strong easterly winds. A bottom-fishing effort of 185 reel hours produced a catch of 1000 fish with a total weight of 3135 kg, of which 476 kg was locally unsaleable (15.1% of the total by weight). The catch rate recorded for saleable species only was one of the highest recorded thus far by the Project at 14.4 kg/reel hour. However, 50.5 per cent of the locally saleable catch comprised Lutjanus bohar or red bass which, although it was sold and consumed at Kiritimati, would almost certainly be unsaleable on export markets due to this species widespread association with ciguatoxicity. No deep-water snappers were taken though it is possible that this may have been due to the depths fished rather than the absence of these species in the area. Attempts to trial market samples of jobfish and grouper were inconclusive as no market reaction was forthcoming before the Project's departure. It was concluded that a deep-bottom fishery at Kiritimati has good economic potential if the current availability of bait continues, if the entry of operators into the fishery is phased, in conjunction with monitoring of catches and catch rates, and if continued efforts are made to establish export markets for the species taken. v RÉSUMÉ Dans le cadre de son Projet de développement de la pêche au demi-large, la Commission du Pacifique Sud a, pour la deuxième fois, entre avril et décembre 1984, mené à Kiribati une mission qui a été accomplie en deux phases distinctes. Du 1er avril au 5 septembre, les activités se sont déroulées à Tanaea, sur l'atoll de Tarawa, dans les îles Gilbert ainsi que dans les îles d'Abaiang, Abemama, Arorae et Tamana. Lors de la seconde phase, la mission s'est déplacée à London village, à Kiritimati (île Christmas), dans les îles de la Ligne (nord), à quelques 2 566 km à l'ouest et au nord de Tarawa, où elle a mené ses activités entre le 31 octobre et le 19 décembre de la même année. Les deux phases de cette mission ayant été menées dans des zones géographiques isolées et leurs objectifs étant sensiblement différents, ce rapport est présenté en deux parties. Phase I : Tarawa, Abaiang, Abemama, Arorae et Tamana Cette partie de la mission a eu essentiellement pour objet d'assurer la formation aux techniques de pêche au grand fond de pêcheurs peu rompus à l'utilisation de cette méthode et de prospecter les zones et les stocks de grand fond de la région de Tarawa et de quatre autres îles périphériques. Parallèlement, le maître de pêche devait déterminer si la conception des pirogues locales leur permettait de participer à des opérations de pêche au grand fond et donner des conseils sur leur aménagement; il devait aussi évaluer la viabilité économique potentielle de cette pêcherie. Vingt-trois sorties ont été réalisées à Tarawa et dans les autres îles à bord de plusieurs bateaux de pêche. Quinze d'entre elles l'ont été à bord de pirogues dont la conception était soumise à évaluation et le plus souvent, de deux embarcations de type différent, qui pêchaient ensemble lors d'une même sortie. Cinquante-sept pêcheurs locaux, dont des membres d'une équipe de démonstration du service des pêches, ont participé à ces sorties et ont, dans une certaine mesure, bénéficié d'une formation. L'effort de pêche a essentiellement porté sur la pêche à la palangrotte de fond bien qu'accessoirement il ait été consacré à la pêche à la traîne et à la pêche à la palangrotte entre deux eaux. On a enregistré 569 heures/moulinet de pêche à la palangrotte profonde, au cours desquelles 901 poissons d'un poids total de 3 370,3 kg ont été capturés. La part invendable des prises a été élevée puisqu'elle représente 34 pour cent du poids total alors que le taux de prise global des espèces vendables n'est que de 3,9 kg/heure/moulinet. Les taux de prises ont sensiblement varié d'une île à l'autre puisqu'on a relevé des maxima de 7,9 kg/heure/moulinet à Abemama et des minima de 0,3 kg/heure/moulinet à Arorae et à Tamana. Cette disparité des taux de prises semble être en partie imputable aux difficultés d'approvisionnement en appâts appropriés sur certains sites mais également à la faible étendue des zones de grand fond dans des îles telles qu'Arorae et Tamana.