Spawning Aggregations of Coral Reef Fish in New Ireland and Manus Provinces, Papua New Guinea: Local Knowledge Field Survey Report
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July 2004 TNC Pacific Island Countries Report No. 4/04 (Unrestricted) Spawning Aggregations of Coral Reef Fish in New Ireland and Manus Provinces, Papua New Guinea: Local Knowledge Field Survey Report Unrestricted Access Version Prepared by: Richard J. Hamilton1, Manuai Matawai2 and Tapas Potuku3 Pacific Island Countries Coastal Marine Program The Nature Conservancy Author Contact Details: 1 51 Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane, Qld, 4101, Australia. Email: [email protected] 2 PO Box 408, Lorengau, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea 3 PO Box 522, Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea Citation: Hamilton, R., M. Matawai and T. Potuku. 2004. Spawning Aggregations of Coral Reef Fish in New Ireland and Manus Provinces, Papua New Guinea: Local Knowledge Field Survey Report. (UNRESTRICTED ACCESS VERSION). Report prepared for the Pacific Island Countries Coastal Marine Program, The Nature Conservancy. TNC Pacific Island Countries Report No. 4/04. © 2004 The Nature Conservancy All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior permission from the copyright holder(s). Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder(s). Acknowledgements We are extremely grateful to the numerous individuals in the communities visited in Kavieng and Manus for welcoming us, accommodating us and teaching us about reef fish spawning aggregations on their reefs. The information presented in this report is based upon their knowledge, and could not have been documented without their interest and support. In Kavieng we would like to specifically thank, Luman Lapan, Steven July Lapan, Lawrence Litau, Pomat, Ranson Aisoli, John Aini and Brenda Sainol for assisting in various ways. We also thank Leban Gisawa in Port Moresby for providing us with a technical NFA report on the trial LRFFT fishery in Kavieng. In Manus we acknowledge the assistance of the Papa reefs: Pokanau Pondrilei, Powaseu Pokatou and Kailou Potuan. We also acknowledge the support of Pere Ward Councilors Petrus Ponialou, Kumalau Paniu, Chokal Manuai and Popeu Kangol. We thank Manoi Kanamon, Pokiap Pakop and Kisakiu Pomaleu of the Manus monitoring team for their ongoing assistance and enthusiasm for this fieldwork. A special thank you also to Kialou Potuan and family of Peli Island for accommodation and logistical support. Finally, we thank Pokupwen Simon, Livai Tapan and Wep Kanawi for their interest and support of this fieldwork. Project managed by Dr. Andrew Smith, Director, Pacific Island Countries Coastal Marine Programs, The Nature Conservancy. Donors Financial assistance was provided by the Office of Strategic Planning, Operations and Technical Support, Bureau for Asia and the Near East, U. S. Agency for International Development, under the terms of Award No. LAG-A-00-99-00045-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U. S. Agency for International Development. The Oak Foundation (“Protecting Spawning Aggregations from Destructive Fishing and the Live Reef Food Fish Trade”) i Report Available From: Indo-Pacific Resource Centre The Nature Conservancy 51 Edmondstone Street South Brisbane, QLD 4101 Australia Or via the worldwide web at: www.conserveonline.org Cover photo: Two resting P. areolatus at a spawning aggregation site. This photo was taken at night. The fish on the left is in the camouflage color phase that is seen in males and females. The one on the right is displaying the yellow/green color phase only seen in females (R. Hamilton). ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................iii List of Figures: .................................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables: ................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Indigenous Ecological Knowledge..................................................................................................... 2 Utilizing local knowledge for spawning aggregation research ..................................................... 2 Customary Marine Tenure (CMT) ..................................................................................................... 3 Kavieng, New Ireland Province .............................................................................................................. 4 Community liaison and interviewing procedure ................................................................................ 4 Local knowledge of spawning aggregations ...................................................................................... 5 The main biological findings of interest ....................................................................................... 7 Fishing pressure placed on spawning aggregations ........................................................................... 9 Subsistence fishing........................................................................................................................ 9 Artisanal fishing.......................................................................................................................... 10 Commercial fishing – the LRFFT............................................................................................... 12 Summary on fishing pressure on spawning aggregations ........................................................... 14 UVC surveys at identified aggregation sites.................................................................................... 14 Local management practices within existing CMT estates.............................................................. 17 Customary tenure estates in the Tigak Islands and at Dyual Island................................................. 17 Tigaks.......................................................................................................................................... 17 Dyual Island region..................................................................................................................... 18 Recommendations for further biological and ethnographic research............................................... 19 Biological recommendations....................................................................................................... 19 Ethnographic recommendations.................................................................................................. 20 Manus.................................................................................................................................................... 21 Interviewing procedure .................................................................................................................... 21 Local knowledge of spawning aggregations .................................................................................... 21 The main biological findings of interest to come out this field survey....................................... 23 Fishing pressure placed on spawning aggregations ......................................................................... 24 An oral history of aggregation fishing ........................................................................................ 24 Subsistence fishing...................................................................................................................... 25 Artisanal fishing.......................................................................................................................... 25 Commercial fishing..................................................................................................................... 25 Community meetings ....................................................................................................................... 26 Pere ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Locha........................................................................................................................................... 27 Peli .............................................................................................................................................. 28 Current management measures at aggregation sites 29, 33, and 35................................................. 28 Local management practices within existing CMT estates.............................................................. 30 Results from UVC surveys conducted at Sites 29, 33 and 35.......................................................... 30 Update on UVC monitoring at Sites 29, 33 and 35..................................................................... 32 Recommendations for further biological and ethnographic research............................................... 33 Biological recommendations....................................................................................................... 33 Ethnographic recommendations.................................................................................................. 34 The dangers of documenting