Country Guide to Gamefishing in the Western and Central Pacific
by Wade Whitelaw Oceanic Fisheries Programme
Secretariat of the Pacific Community 2001 © Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community 2001
All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. The SPC authorises the partial reproduction or translation of this mate- rial for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided the SPC and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the docu- ment and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPC artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission.
Original text: English
Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data
Whitelaw, Wade Country guide to gamefishing in the Western and Central Pacific: by Wade Whitelaw
1. Fishing - Oceania. 1. Title 2. Secretariat of the Pacific Community
799.1665 AACR2
ISBN 982–203–817–8
Secretariat of the Pacific Community BP D5 98848 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia Telephone: + 687 26 20 00 Facsimile: + 687 26 38 18 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.spc.int/
Funded by AusAID
Layout: Muriel Borderie Prepared for publication and printed at Secretariat of the Pacific Community headquarters Noumea, New Caledonia, 2001 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...... 1 BACKGROUND ...... 2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION ...... 4 RESULTS ...... 4 WORLD RECORDS ...... 5 SEASONALITY OF GAMEFISH SPECIES ...... 5 SEASONALITY OF TOURISM ...... 5 SUMMARY OF INFORMATION BY COUNTRY ...... 6 American Samoa ...... 7 Cook Islands ...... 11 Federated States of Micronesia ...... 15 Fiji Islands ...... 19 French Polynesia ...... 23 Guam ...... 27 Kiribati ...... 31 Marshall Islands ...... 35 Nauru ...... 39 New Caledonia ...... 43 Niue ...... 47 Norfolk Island ...... 51 Northern Mariana Islands ...... 55 Palau ...... 59 Papua New Guinea ...... 63 Pitcairn Islands ...... 67 Samoa ...... 71 Solomon Islands ...... 75 Tokelau ...... 79 Kingdom of Tonga ...... 83 Tuvalu ...... 87 Vanuatu ...... 91 Wallis & Futuna ...... 95 CONCLUSIONS ...... 99 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 99 REFERENCES ...... 100 GAMEFISH - BIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ...... 102 Blue Marlin (Makaira mazara) ...... 102 Striped Marlin (Tetrapturus audax) ...... 103 Black marlin (Makaira indica) ...... 104 Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) ...... 105 Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) ...... 106 BILLFISH GUIDE ...... 109
Introduction
amefishing is rapidly developing throughout the world as a potential source of revenue for nations, rich and poor alike. It provides increased tourist num- Gbers to an area as well as maximising a country’ s limited natural res o u rc e s . Gamefishing, especially if the fish caught are released, can provide greater economic benefit to a country than can commercial extractive fishing of the same species. This is especially true in the case of larger pelagic fish such as billfish.
There are a number of centres around the world that have developed gamefishing into a major industry. Examples include Cairns (Australia), Kona (Hawai’i, USA), North Carolina (USA), Florida Keys (USA) and the Caribbean, as well as local examples in the western Pacific such as Vanuatu, French Polynesia and Fiji islands.
The aim of this guide is to bring together current information on the gamefishing facilities, amenities and target species of the island nations within the central and western tropical Pacific. Hawai’i, Australia and New Zealand are not included in this guide.
Most Pacific countries have some level of gamefishing, though this varies, both in the level of intensity and the main target species. This publication is a first attempt to bring together relevant information for use by researchers, fisheries managers, tourism developers and potential fishing charter operators.
1 The concept of this guide was provided and approved by country re p re s e n t a t i v e s at the 2n d Pacific Community Fisheries Management Workshop, Noumea, 12–16 October 1998. This re p o rt was produced as part of an AusAID-funded project to i n c rease our scientific understanding of billfish stocks in the western and central Pacific Ocean in order to estimate the impacts from regional tuna fisheries. This i n c reased knowledge will assist in the rational management of the fishery and in the development of sustainable fisheries for billfish (particularly island-based s p o rts fisheries). Background Gamefishing infrastructure and facilities vary widely across the Pacific; the most extensive occur in countries that have a developed tourism industry. Gamefishing, especially charter fishing, is intimately linked with tourism for its development.
We have defined ‘gamefishing’ as any ‘blue-water’ fishing activity that targets large pelagic fishes, and which is not industrial or subsistence, but carried out primarily for recreation and secondarily for food. People involved in charter gamefishing include operators, members of sport and gamefishing clubs, and private individuals. Gamefishing usually refers to the use of rods and reels, and the use of line that has a breaking strain less than the weight of the targeted fish. It also generally refers to fishing under a set of rules and regulations set by a governing body, either local and/or the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
A number of countries/territories in the Pacific, such as Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Guam and to a lesser extent New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, have quite well-developed gamefisheries with organised game- fishing clubs, tournaments and affiliations with the IGFA.
In a number of other countries, gamefishing facilities are minimal, mainly because the tourism infrastructure is undeveloped. However, in these countries the rec- ognised gamefishing species may be subject to a high level of fishing for subsis- tence. Most countries have some charter vessels that offer a full service for game- fishing to anglers, at a daily fee. A successful charter operation supplies a well- equipped vessel, complete with all fishing gear (set to IGFA standards), lures, bait, and more. A captain operates the vessel, while one or more deckhands rig baits, set gear and ensure smooth operation on deck.
Because charter fishing clients often come from overseas (e.g. USA, Euro p e , Japan, Australia), it is important that individual charter operations offer cert a i n incentives that are seen to be an advantage over competing areas or operators. Such features might include the availability of large specimens of a certain spe- cies (e.g. re c o rd-sized sailfish, dogtooth tuna, bigeye tuna, blue and black marlin), or the likelihood of high strike rates on the target species. A good charter fishery may average several billfish strikes per day’s fishing, which would attract anglers to travel long distances. International anglers also usually prefer comfort a b l e boats and onshore accommodation, although this is not essential if good fishing is a s s u re d .
2 A typical gamefishing boat is a cabin cruiser, usually over 10 metres in length. It is normally equipped with twin diesel engines (200 hp each, and above), plus a flying bridge, and electronic equipment such as a depth sounder and Global Positioning System (GPS). Smaller vessels are, however, quite capable of gamefishing; boats five metres and over often perform well in competitions. Modern banana boats (elongated open-topped fibreglass boats usually around 6 m long) have proved to be excellent vessels for trolling for gamefish.
Gamefish are usually defined as the lar- ger pelagic species of predatory marine fish. They are categorised as such by the I n t e rnational Game Fish Association (IGFA 1999), and particularly include, all of the billfishes (marlins, sailfish, spearfishes and swordfish), all of the tunas (the true tunas Thunnus spp., as well as the little tunas and bonitos); the spanish mackerels (S c o m b e ro m o ru s spp); some sharks (notably, the mako, tiger, blue and white (where not protec- ted), hammerheads, threshers and members of the requiem or whaler group (Carcharhinus spp.); and other sundry species, including wahoo, cobia, mahi mahi (dolphin fish), and giant treval- ly. All these species may be seasonal in their catchability in any given locality, due to varying environmental parameters, mainly water temperature.
While the seasonality of some species for some countries has been presented here, sufficient data for all countries is lacking. In some instances, seasonality for the spe- cies has been derived from longline data within the countries’ EEZ as well as from port landings as no data from the gamefishery exists. It is hoped that now the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has established a central database, the gamefishing industry will improve its data collection and archives.
A number of countries have developed gamefishing clubs that provide a central coordinating body which organises tournaments and collects gamefish catch and effort data. Several of these clubs have provided information for this report. This work is to be encouraged. To assist with this, SPC has developed a web page (http://www.spc.int/oceanfish/) that provides tournament and charter vessel troll data sheets to record gamefish catch and effort data.
The two major developed areas for gamefishing in the southwest Pacific are Australia and New Zealand. These countries support extensive private, club and charter sectors. On the east coast of Australia, gamefishing clubs are located in most major ports. Membership of east coast clubs affiliated with the Game Fishing Association of Australia is about 6000. Important charter fisheries, which primarily target black, blue and/or striped marlin, are located in centres spread along the east
3 coast between Cairns (northern Queensland) and Bermagui (southern New South Wales). Other primary target species include yellowfin tuna, and mako, tiger and blue sharks.
It has been estimated that expenditure on gamefishing in eastern Australia is more than $200 million per annum (Pepperell 1994). Summaries of the history, extent and catches of the eastern Australian gamefish fishery are reported in Campbell et al. (1996; 2000) and BRS (2000).
Gamefishing in New Zealand is also extensive and highly organised through the Big Game Fishing Council of New Zealand. Much of the activity occurs along the northeast coast of the North Island, especially the Bay of Islands, where a large charter fleet is based. Target species are primarily striped marlin and mako sharks. Sources of information The information contained in this guide has been provided by relevant country contacts, commercial fisheries data and by SPC staff. While every effort has been made to include all relevant information, there will no doubt be some omissions or errors. Information should be verified at the country source before any economic or strategic decisions are made.
Much of the information within this guide was derived from questionnaires com- pleted by country representatives. The information provided on population, area of EEZ, land area and country history were derived from ‘Selected Pacific Economies – A Statistical Summary 2000’ (SPC 2000), the Pacific Islands Yearbook (1989) and the Pacific Island Trade and Tourism Directory (International Trade and Tourism 1999). Subsistence fisheries production information was derived by dividing the results of the most recent estimate of population by the countries’ estimated sub- sistence fisheries production (Dalzell et al. 1996). Much additional information was obtained from individuals within the gamefishing community as well as from various fisheries departments. Much of the gamefish seasonality information is derived from commercial longline catch and effort data as recorded in the SPC database. Results Available information is compiled by country. In many cases there are gaps in avai- lable information; it is hoped that these will be filled over time. The approximate number of private vessels operating in these countries was determined from feed- back from fishery scientists, gamefishing representatives and a host of other people who are living or have lived in the country. These figures are not precise and are intended to only provide a general sense of the number of boats that may fish for gamefish species. Some of these boats only carry out subsistence fishing, though they can, and do, fish for gamefish species.
Findings, not surprisingly, are quite diverse; some Pacific countries have quite developed game fisheries, while others are still developing.
4 World records A number of world records for various gamefish species are held within the Pacific region. There are not many of these at present, mainly because little targeted fishing has occurred for many species. World records are registered with the International Game Fish Association (http://www.igfa.org/). World records are divi- ded into classes, depending on line strength and the sex of the person catching the fish. All-tackle world records are for the heaviest fish of a recognised species that is caught by any angler in any line class up to 130 lb (60 kg). The Pacific at present is like an oyster with pearls within: it contains the right species of gamefish, in record sizes; it is just waiting for people to discover them, whether they be all-tackle, or individual line class records.
In the section below on country summaries, world records are only given for those countries where they have been awarded. Seasonality of gamefish species There is a distinct seasonality in the catches of gamefish species within most areas of the Pacific region. Catch rates also vary between countries and years due to large-scale environmental events such as El Niño and La Niña (changes in the ambient water temperature due to wind and current effects).
Some billfish species, notably black marlin and sailfish, are found closer to land- masses while other species, such as blue marlin, prefer deeper oceanic waters. Other species, e.g. dogtooth tuna, are more commonly associated with reefs. Consequently, depending on the land and nearshore topography, species composi- tion varies.
Seasonality for most species has been determined from available longline catch and effort data as in most cases no gamefish data exists. In some cases, due to insuffi- cient longline data, a number of years of data have been combined to try to provi- de information on the seasonality of the gamefish species. Seasonality of tourism Besides affecting gamefish availability, large-scale environmental influences, such as ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation), also affect the onshore climate of coun- tries within the Pacific. This of course can have impacts on the desirability of the area as a tourist destination (i.e. if the weather is bad, tourists will not frequent a place so much); this is especially true for tourism activities such as gamefishing, which are weather dependent.
The Pacific area exhibits seasonal weather changes with some areas having distinct dry and wet seasons as well as windy times of the year that can impact gamefishing. These seasonal variations depend on normal climatic variations as well as larger- scale environmental variables such as ENSO events.
5 Summary of information by country
Population 64,100 Land area (km2) 201 EEZ area (km2) 390,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 16.43 Land area as percentage Subsistence fisheries production of EEZ 0.052 kg/capita 3.35
merican Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States and its people are classified as American nationals. It Ais composed of seven islands and is the only American terri- tory south of the equator. American Samoa lies about 3700 km to the southwest of Hawai’i and 2575 km to the northeast of New Zealand.
Polynesians first settled in American Samoa around 600 BC. Evidence suggests that the first inhabitants came from the west, possibly by way of Indonesia, Vanuatu and Fiji before sailing eastward to Tonga and Samoa.
The capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago, located on Tutuila the main island. It is also where most gamefishing is carried out. Tutuila has a land area of 135 sq km. The other islands are Aunu’u, Ta’u, Ofu, Olosega, Swains Island and the small, iso- lated Rose Atoll. The total land area of American Samoa is 201 sq km. Tut u i l a , which extends for 30 km from east to west and is about 6 km wide, and is almost bisected by the harbour at Pago Pago. The whole group of islands extends 500 km fr om Swains in the north to Rose Atoll in the south. Apart from of Swains and Rose Atolls, the terri t o r y is formed from the remains of extinct volcanoes, leaving central mountain ranges with limited coastal plains.
There are minimal charter facilities available in Pago Pago; the gamefish club is still active, but seldom holds tournaments. The Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources currently organises tournaments. Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
7 World Records* Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Trevally, giant Caranyx M – 60 52.61 Pago Pago 20/2/78 ignobilis
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Fishing is carried out around the islands using a number of existing FADs. Marinas There is one marina in Pago Pago. Boat ramps A total of five in the island of Tutuila, one in Ta’u and one in Ofu. Jetties Around six in Pago Pago Charter vessels None presently operating. Gamefishing clubs American Game Fishing Association (Tutelei – 1670-6332465), affiliated with IGFA. Tautai Fishing Association (non-IGFA). Approximate number of 10–20 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments Sporadic Tourism contacts http://www.ipacific.com/samoa/samoa.html/ http://www.samoanet.com/americansamoa/ Fisheries management contacts Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources P.O. Box 3730, Pago Pago Tel: +684 633 44 56; Fax: + 684 633 59 44 [email protected] Species availability Year-round fishing for the main billfish species; peaks during the summer months for blue marlin; other billfish species occur fairly constantly throughout the year.
Gamefish seasonality Blue marlin is the dominant billfish species caught by commercial vessels operat- ing around American Samoa. Blue marlin show a distinct seasonal variation with the highest catch per unit of effort (CPUE) occurring in the summer months from November to March. The other species of billfish show a less distinct perio- dicity; in fact, they occur fairly constantly throughout the year. It should be noted that blue marlin CPUE is significantly higher than that of other billfish species during all months.
* World records obtained from IGFA (1999).
8 CPUE for blue marlin (longline data) 0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0.014 CPUE for billfish (longline data)
0.012 Striped marlin Black marlin Swordfish 0.01
0.008
0.006
0.004
0.002
0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
9 Tourism Tourism data, while being fairly limited, show an average of around 40,000 visitors to American Samoa each year. These come mainly from ‘Other Pacific Countries’ and the United States. Mostly these are relatives visiting families. The tourism infrastructure for gamefishing in American Samoa is not well developed.
Number of visitors by country of origin
50,00050,000
45,00045,000
40,00040,000
35,00035,000
30,00030,000
25,00025,000
20,00020,000 Other countries 15,00015,000 US A 10,00010,000 Other Pacific 5,0005,000 co u n t r i e s New Zealand 0 0 Australia 19911991 1992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996
10 Cook Islands
Population 18,700 Land Area (km 2) 240 EEZ area (km 2) 1,830,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 1.02 % of EEZ area as land 0.013 Coastal fish catch/capita (kg) 45.9
ook Islands consists of 15 main islands distributed over nearly two million Cs q u a re kilometres of ocean. It is a s e l f - g o v e rning democracy situated around 3000 km to the northeast of Auckland in the centre of the Polynesian triangle. It is divided into the south- e rn, more populated gro u p ( R a rotonga is the capital) and the nort h e rn, more remote group. Raro t o n g a is the capital of Cook Islands and home to more than half the country ’s p o p u l a t i o n .
The first settlers to Cook Islands were Polynesians who arrived around 800 AD from French Polynesia. These colonisers were believed to have been the last wave of the Polynesian migration from Asia.
The total land area of the islands is 240 sq km with the largest island, Rarotonga, being 65 sq km, followed by Mangaia (51 sq km). The islands extend 1400 km from Penrhyn to Mangaia. Topography varies from submerged volcanic peaks of the northern atolls, to the steep, raised volcanic peaks of Rarotonga with its nar- row fringing reef. Most of the islands in the northern group are coral atolls, gen- erally enclosing a lagoon. The islands in the southern group are mostly more ele- vated.
Cook Islands provides good fishing and is especially famous for bonefish (Al b u l a sp p . ) .
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
11 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Blue-water fishing around Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Also fishing around FADs. Marinas Rarotonga-3, Aitutaki-1 Boat ramps Rarotonga-3, Aitutaki-1 Jetties Unknown Charter Vessels Rarotonga-5, Aitutaki-5. Charter vessels operate every couple of days – weather dependent. Gamefishing clubs Cook Island Game Fishing Club (IGFA) P.O. Box 183, Rarotonga Aitutaki Fishing Club (IGFA affiliated) P.O. Box 102, Aitutaki Approximate number of Rarotonga 50, Aitutaki 50 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments Public holidays and sporadically throughout the year. Tourism contacts Cook Islands Tourism Corporation P.O. Box 14, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Tel: +682 29 435 or 29 436; Fax: +682 21 435 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.cook-islands.com/ Fisheries management contacts Ministry of Marine Resources P.O. Box 85, Rarotonga Tel: +682 28 730; fax: +682 29 721 e-mail: [email protected] Species availability Blue marlin show increased catch rates from January to March, while other billfish species show increased catch rates from May to September.
Gamefish seasonality Cook Islands has a large EEZ that extends from 50S to 250S. The seasonality of the various gamefish species varies according to the latitude and prevailing oceanographic conditions. Blue marlin, which is the prevalent billfish species in the area, shows a distinct seasonality of CPUE, with a peak during the summer months from November to March. Other billfish species, while caught in lower numbers, appear to be more prevalent from April to November, again depending on latitude. May to July (southern winter) are the major months for striped and black marlin and swordfish (which are seldom caught recreationally), while sailfish show no distinct seasonality (these species frequent coastal waters and are not often caught by oceanic longliners).
12 CPUE for billfish (longline data) CPUE for billfish (longline data) Striped marlinmarlin Black marlin marlin 1.21.2 Swordfish Sailfish 11
0.80.8
0.60.6
0.40.4 Kg per 100 hooks
0.20.2
00 JanJan Feb Mar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SeptSep OctOct NovNov DecDec
CPUE for blue marlinCPUE (longline for blue marlin data) (longline data)
88
77
66
55
44
33 Kg per 100 hooks 22
11
00 JanJan FebFeb Mar Apr MayMay JunJun Jul AugAug SeptSep Oct NovNov DecDec
13 Tourism Tourism data show that Cook Islands receives around 50,000 tourists each year with most coming from ‘Other countries’, New Zealand and the USA. Tourist numbers appear to have dropped off over the last few years with Australia, the USA and New Zealand exhibiting a minor decrease, though it is thought that visi- tor numbers will have increased in the year 2000 due to political instability in other Pacific tourist destinations.
Number of visitors by country of origin Other countries
70,00070,000 US A
Other Pacific co u n t r i e s 60,00060,000 New Zealand
Australia 50,00050,000
40,00040,000
30,00030,000
20,00020,000
10,00010,000
00 19911991 19921992 1993 19941994 19951995 19961996 1997 19981998
14 Federated States of Micronesia
Population 118,100 Land Area (km 2) 701 EEZ area (km 2) 2,978,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 3.97 % of EEZ area as land 0.024 Coastal fish catch/capita (kg) 52.9
he Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) make up the largest part of the greater Micronesian region and comprise TKosrae, Chuuk, Yap and Pohnpei—four island states, with over 600 islands and atolls. These stretch across 2500 km of the West Central Pacific Ocean, almost the entire width of Micronesia. Each state has its own lan- guages and a distinctive culture, tradition and history. Micronesian peoples entered the Pacific from Southeast Asia over 3000 years ago.
After the Second World War, FSM became a United Nations trusteeship under USA administration. A constitutional government was installed in 1979, while in 1990 the UN trusteeship was terminated.
Geography of the islands is varied, ranging from isolated reefs and low coral atolls to mountainous volcanic islands.
Kosrae, the second largest island, is the most easterly state in FSM and consists of one large island and a much smaller one that are joined by a causeway. The interi- or of the large island is rugged and volcanic.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
15 Chuuk State consists of 19 high islands with over 70 small coral islets. Chuuk lagoon comprises 14 volcanic islands surrounded by a 224-km long coral reef that forms a lagoon of over 2000 sq km. Chuuk Lagoon is one of the largest lagoons in the world.
Yap State, the most westerly state in the FSM, consists of 15 islands and atolls that stretch across 1200 km.
Pohnpei State, which lies directly north of Solomon Islands, incorporates Pohnpei Island (the largest in FSM), 25 smaller islands within a barrier reef, and 8 outly- ing coral atolls. The island is set in a 181 sq km lagoon.
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Trolling outside the barrier reef around Pohnpei and neighbouring islands. Cast poppers (lures) at pass entrances. Marinas Pohnpei Gamefishing Club marina and weigh station Boat ramps Jetties Two places to obtain fuel. Charter vessels One to two Gamefishing clubs Pohnpei Gamefishing Club http://www.pacificfishing.com/micrones/pages/pfish.htm/. Approximate number of Around 100 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments Occasional Tourism contacts FSM Visitors Board, Department of Economic Affairs P.O. Box PS-12, Palikir, Pohnpei, 96941, FSM Tel: +691 320 26 46 / 320 51 33; Fax: +691 320 58 54 / 320 32 51 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] http://www.visit-fsm.org/
Chuuk Visitors Bureau P.O. Box FQ, Weno, Chuuk, FSM 96942 Tel: +691 33 04 13 3; Fax: +691 33 04 19 4
Pohnpei Tourist Commission, P.O. Box 66, Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM 96941 Tel: +691 32 02 42 1; Fax: +691 32 02 50 5
Fisheries management contacts Department of Economic Affairs P.O. Box PS-12, Palikir, Pohnpei, 96941 Tel: +691 32 02 620; Fax: +691 32 05 854 E-mail: [email protected]; http://www.fsmgov.org/ Species availability Year-round fishing for the main billfish species, although blue marlin, which is the main target species, is caught more in the first half of the year. Smaller gamefish species such as mahi mahi and wahoo are more prevalent from January to March.
16 Gamefish seasonality FSM has a large EEZ that extends from 1350 to 1650E and from the equator to around 130N. The seasonality of gamefish varies with latitude and longitude and prevalent oceanographic conditions. Information derived from commercial CPUE data shows that striped and black marlin and sailfish do not show much seasonal variation. Blue marlin, which are the most prevalent billfish, show an increase in CPUE from January through June/July. Mahi mahi are also seasonal and mainly caught during the trade-wind season, January to March. Wahoo and yellowfin tuna catches appear to be higher outside this windy season. It should be noted that both wahoo and giant trevally are important gamefish species here.
CPUE for billfish (longline data)
0.80.8 StripedStriped marlin marlin BlueBlue marlin marlin BlackBlack marlin marlin 0.70.7 SailfishSailfish
0.60.6
0.50.5
0.40.4
0.30.3
0.20.2
0.10.1
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept Oct NovNov Dec
17 Tourism There is presently no information on numbers of tourists entering FSM, though numbers are reportedly on the increase, with an improvement in tourism infra- structure and facilities.
18 Fiji Islands
Population 824,700 Land Area (km2) 18,274 EEZ area (km2) 1,290,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 63.9 % of EEZ area as land 1.417 Coastal fish catch/capita (kg) 20.12
ften referred to as the ‘crossroads’, or ‘hub of the Pacific’, the Republic of Fiji Islands straddles the international date- Oline. Fiji has over 330 islands of which Vanua Levu and Viti Levu (where hosts the capital Suva is located) are the two largest.
The larger islands are mountainous and volcanic. Each island is sur- rounded by a barrier reef.
Formerly a British colony, the country gained independence in 1970 and became a Republic in 1987. Suva is one of the largest urban centres in the South Pacific region as well as the major administrative centre for many national, regional and international organisations. The ethnic Fijians are the indigenous inhabitants, originally the product of the meeting of Melanesians, Polynesians and Micronesians in these islands. Later in Fiji’s history, Indians were brought in as labour for sugar cane crops. Indians now constitute a significant proportion of the total population.
Gamefishing in Fiji Islands is well developed. Numerous charter vessels operate from the main hotels, and there are organised clubs and regular competitions. Gamefishing is very much linked to tourism in Fiji.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
19 World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Barracuda Sphyraena W – 24 28.3 Serua 28/7/88 barracuda Pacific sailfish Istiophorus W – 60 85.72 Yanuca 7/12/67 platypterus
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Pacific Harbour (near Suva) is one of the main fishing grounds although there is extensive fishing all along the west coast (protected from the wind and close to the main tourist areas) with some along the east coast (more exposed). Marinas Suva, Pacific Harbour, Lautoka, Musket Cove, The Fijian, Castaway Island, Taveuni and Labasa. Boat ramps Suva, Musket Cove and Pacific Harbour. Jetties Main one in Suva is the Suva Yacht Club. There is a minor one at Pacific Harbour and others associated with some of the resorts as well as in some of the villages. Charter vessels There are numerous charter vessels associated with the main hotels as well as a few based in Suva. Total around 20–30. Gamefishing clubs Suva Yacht Club; Pacific Harbour Gamefishing Club; clubs at Savusavu, Taveuni and Labasa; Fiji International Gamefish Association. Approximate number of More than 50 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments A number of club and international tournaments with the largest being the ‘Pacific Harbour (Vodaphone) International Gamefish Tournament’, held around July each year. Tourism contacts Fiji Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 92, Suva Tel: +679 30 24 33; Fax: +679 30 09 70/30 27 51 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.BulaFiji.com/, http://www.fijifvb.gov.fj/ Fisheries management contacts Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry P.O. Box 3165, Lami Tel: +679 36 11 22; Fax: +679 36 11 84 Species availability Best wahoo season: May–August Best billfish season: March–April, July–August, October–November Best tuna season: April–July Sailfish occur throughout the year – possibly best in August.
20 Gamefish seasonality Mahi mahi appear to show a slight seasonality in catch rates (longline data) with the best catches occuring from January to April, though mahi mahi can be caught all year. Wahoo are caught all year, though catch rates show a slight increase in May and from September to December.
Blue marlin catches (from longline data) appear to peak from October to April. Striped marlin are caught mostly from August to December while sailfish are fair- ly constant throughout the year. Quite large specimens of both sailfish and dog- tooth tuna are caught in Fiji Islands. Blue and striped marlin are the most com- mon of the marlin species, though occasional black marlin are caught. Gamefish competition data (Whitelaw and Pepperell 2000) seem to show that there has been an increase in the catch per day of wahoo over time while the catch of mahi mahi peaked in 1983 and 1994.
CPUE for gamefish species (longline data) 0.045 Mahi mahi mahi
0.04 WWahooahoo
0.035
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
21 CPUE for billfish (longline data) Striped marlin marlin Blue marlin marlin 0.040.04 Black marlin marlin Sailfish 0.0350.035
0.030.03
0.0250.025
0.020.02
0.0150.015
0.010.01
0.0050.005
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
Tourism Tourism is a major industry for Fiji with more than 350,000 incoming visitors per year. The main sources of visitors are Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the USA, with a significant proportion coming from ‘Other countries’. Recent political unrest has caused a decrease in visitor numbers.
Number of visitors by country of origin
400,000400,000
350,000350,000
300,000300,000
250,000250,000
200,000200,000
Other countries Other countries 150,000150,000 Japan Ja p a n United States of America
100,000100,000 OtherUS APacific countries Other Pacific Newcountries Zealand 50,00050,000 AustraliaNew Zealand
Australia 00 19911991 19921992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996 19971997
22 French Polynesia
Population 233,000 Land Area (km2) 3,521 EEZ area (km 2) 5,030,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 4.63 % of EEZ area as land 0.070 Coastal fish catch/capita (kg) 15.84
rench Polynesia is composed of 120 islands spread over 5 million square kilometres. These islands are divided into five archipelagos: the Tuamotu FArchipelago; the Society Islands, comprising the Windward group (includ- ing Tahiti and Moorea) and the Leeward group (including Raiatea and Bora Bora); the Gambier Islands; the Austral Islands; and the Marquesas Islands.
Most of the archipelagos are composed of extinct volcanoes, with high mountain- ous formations and deep, well-watered valleys. The Marquesas are geologically the most recent and have no barrier reef. Midway between Australia and North America, Tahiti is the largest island and is the site of the capital, Papeete.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
23 It is thought that the Society Islands were first settled around 200–300 AD and that voyagers from these islands then went on to discover New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands.
French Polynesia became a French colony in 1957 and became internally autonomous in 1984.
World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Blue Marlin Makaira mazara W – 4 37.19 Bora Bora 11/4/90
Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda M – 3 9.00 Tubai Island 2/1/76 unicolor
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Near the main Windward Islands (Tahiti, Moorea) and Leeward Islands (Raiatea and Bora Bora). Some FAD fishing. Marinas Four Boat ramps Numerous Jetties Numerous Charter vessels Around 15 are members of the gamefishing clubs; of these, around four operate full time. Gamefishing clubs Seven gamefishing clubs and associations. The main one is the Haura Club de Tahiti P.O. Box 4503, Papeete, Tahiti Tel/Fax: +689 42 37 14 http://www.tahitisportfishing.com/ Tahitian International Billfish Association Approximate number of Around 450 are between 6 and 8 m long and another private fishing vessels 50 are between 8 and 13 m long. Gamefish tournaments One international tournament in February each year and over 30 other tournaments held throughout French Polynesia. Fishing is carried out all year. Tourism contacts Ministry of Tourism B P 2551 - 98 713, Papeete, TAHITI Tel: +689 47 20 00; Fax: +689 41 21 57 [email protected] http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/ Fisheries management contacts Service des Ressources Marines BP 20, 98713 Papeete [email protected] Species availability Blue marlin catch rates are highest from January to June. Black marlin catches peak in April and May. Marlin can be caught all year round.
24 Gamefish seasonality The gamefish of French Polynesia exhibit, for the most part, a distinct seasonality in catch rates. This holds especially true for blue marlin, which, while having a comparatively high CPUE throughout the year, tends to peak in the warmer sum- mer months (January to April). Blue marlin CPUE levels out to around 2.5 fish per 100 hooks for the remainder of the year. Some of the largest blue marlin in the world have been caught in French Polynesia.
Other marlin species, while exhibiting a lesser CPUE, also show a seasonal effect: black marlin peaks in April; striped marlin shows a general increase during the winter months from May to October; and swordfish, which is rarely caught recre- ationally, has a fairly high CPUE, with a peak around December/January. Sailfish have a very low CPUE with no obvious seasonality.
CPUE for blue marlin (longline data) 88
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SeptSep OctOct NovNov DecDec
25 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 1.81.8 Striped marlin marlin 1.61.6 Black marlin marlin Swordfish 1.41.4 Sailfish
1.21.2
11
0.80.8
0.60.6
0.40.4
0.20.2
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct NovNov Dec
Tourism French Polynesia is one of the more developed gamefishing locations in the Pacific and possesses good domestic infrastructure. The number of visitors to French Polynesia has increased steadily over the last few years (a 42% increase since 1991). The composition of visitors has also changed over time with the num- ber of visitors from Australia, New Zealand and France increasing proportionally. Visitors to French Polynesia mainly come from France and the United States, with significant numbers also from Japan.
Number of visitors by country of origin
Other countries Japan
200,000200,000 US France 180,000 180,000 Other Pacific countries 160,000160,000 NZ Australia 140,000140,000
120,000120,000
100,000100,000
Other countries 80,00080,000 Ja p a n 60,00060,000 US A 40,000 40,000 Fr a n c e
20,00020,000 Other Pacific co u n t r i e s 0 0 New Zealand 1991 19921992 19931993 19941994 19951995 Australia
26 Guam
Population 148,200 Land Area (km 2) 541 EEZ area (km 2) 218,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 67.8 Land area as % of EEZ 0.248 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 3.18
uam, which is the westernmost terri- Gtory of the United States, is the southernmost point of the Mariana Islands and lies about 2700 km south of Japan. Guam, con- sists of only one island with a total land area of 541 sq km. The capital is Agana.
In 1950, Guam became an unincorporated territory and its people became American citizens.
The island is around 51 km long and varies from six to 14 km in width. It is the peak of a submerged mountain, which, if measured from its base at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, is the highest mountain in the world. The central and northern parts of the island are relatively flat limestone plateaus, with cliffs that drop precipitously into the ocean. The southern part of the island is volcanic with hills and mountains.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
27 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Within 50 miles of shore, but usually within 10 miles. There are around 16 FADs used by the fishery. There is also a coastal reef fishery. Marinas There are a number of marinas in Guam. There are three main ports: Agana, Agat and Apra. Boat ramps Numerous Jetties Numerous Charter vessels About 25 charter boats Gamefishing clubs Unknown Approximate number of More than 100 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments Numerous Tourism contacts Guam Visitors Bureau 401 Pale San Vitores Road, Tumon, Guam 96911 Tel: +671 64 65 278/9; Fax: +671 64 68 861 E-mail: [email protected] http://ns.gov.gu/visiting.html/ http://www.visitguam.org/continuemenu.html Fisheries management contacts Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 2950, Agana 96923 Tel: +1 671 73 93 555; Fax: +1 671 73 46 570. Species availability Blue marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi are the main species caught, with blue marlin more prevalent between March to June.
Gamefish seasonality Catch data from trollers operating around Guam (WPRFMC 1999) show wide fluctuations in annual CPUE for mahi mahi, wahoo and blue marlin with 1988, 1991 and 1993 showing high catch rates for mahi mahi. Blue marlin and wahoo tend to have more stable catch rates, although there have been periods of higher catch rates such as in 1990/1991 for blue marlin and 1998 for wahoo.
Longline data show that blue marlin exhibit a slight seasonality with a peak in catch rates from March to May. Black marlin are caught more towards the latter half of the year in August to October. Striped marlin catch rates are highest around January, February and March.
28 CPUE for billfish (longline data)
33 Black marlin marlin Blue marlin marlin Striped marlin marlin 2.5 Sailfish 2.5 Swordfish
2 2
1.5
1 1
0.5 0.5
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
29 Tourism Visitor numbers have shown a steady increase from 1991 to 1996 rising from around 600,000 to around 1.4 million per year.
Visitors mainly come from Japan, from where there are direct flights, ‘Other countries’ and the USA. Guam is the major destination within the Pacific Island countries.
Number of visitors by country of origin
1,400,0001,400,000
1,200,0001,200,000
1,000,0001,000,000
800,000800,000 Other countries
Japan 600,000600,000 US Other countries
Ja p a n 400,000400,000 US A
200,000200,000
00 19911991 19921992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996
30 Kiribati
Population 90,700 Land Area (km 2) 690 EEZ area (km 2) 3,550,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 2.55 Land area as % of EEZ 0.019 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita100.2
iribati is a group of 33 low-lying coral islands spread over three and a half million square kilometres of sea encompass- King three separate economic zones. Now a fully independent republic, the group comprises the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands. It is the only country that lies both sides of the equator and both sides of the International Date Line.
The most populous island, Tarawa, is about 1800 km north of Suva, Fiji Islands. Several islands in the Phoenix and Southern Line Islands group are uninhabited. There are 17 islands in the Gilbert Islands group, eight in the Line Islands group and eight in the Phoenix Islands group. The islands are all low-lying atolls except for Banaba (Gilbert Islands), which is 87 m above sea level.
The economy of Kiribati is mainly subsistence. The main sources of foreign income are copra and fisheries, with Kiribati seamen working on foreign cargo and fishing vessels. Kiritimati (Christmas Island) is internationally known as one of the best sites for bonefish (Abula spp.).
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
31 World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Trevally, bluefin Caranyx W – 1 0.68 Kiritimati 30/12/86 melampygus (Christmas Island) Trevally, bluefin Caranyx W – 4 1.50 Kiritimati 16/2/92 melampygus (Christmas Island) Trevally, giant Caranyx W – 15 33.19 Kiritimati 12/7/87 ignobilis (Christmas Island)
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Concentrated around the main island of Tarawa, extending out about 10km to the Maiana Banks. Marinas Most vessel activity is centred around the main harbour area Boat ramps One in Betio shipyard Jetties Main harbour Charter Vessels Some operators specialise in fishing for bonefish at Christmas Island. One – two part time. [email protected] Gamefishing clubs Betio Game Fishing Club E-mail: [email protected] http://www.fishos.com/ Approximate number of 15 belong to the club private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments Monthly tournaments, some targeting billfish and others targeting other gamefish species. Most tournaments are held during the full moon. The 2000 Billfish tournament was held in September. Tourism contacts Kiribati Visitors Bureau Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism P.O. Box 510, Betio, Tarawa Tel: +686 26 157/26 158; Fax: +686 26 233 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.tskl.net.ki/Kiribati/tourism/
Kiritimati (Christmas Island) The Secretary, Ministry of Line and Phoenix Development, Republic of Kiribati Fisheries management contacts Ministry of Natural Resources Development P.O. Box 64 Bairiki, Tarawa Tel: +686 28 095; Fax: +686 28 295 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability All large pelagic species are found in Kiribati waters with little seasonal variation, probably due to proximity to the equator and minimal changes in water temperature.
32 Gamefish seasonality Due to the extensive of waters surrounding Kiribati, it is not possible to make generalisations on fish seasonality for the whole area. Longline CPUE data from around Tarawa shows there is little seasonality for most species, though blue mar- lin catch rates appear to peak in March while striped marlin has its lowest catch rates in July.
Yellowfin tuna CPUE, both around Kiritimati and near Tarawa, tends to peak in the cooler months of July and August, though they are caught all year. Blue mar- lin caught around Kiritimati peak also around July and August. The other species, which are caught in much lower numbers, do not appear to show any distinct sea- sonality, though striped marlin do appear to be caught more at the beginning and end of the year.
CPUE for gamefish species near Tarawa (longline data) Skipjack Striped marlin marlin Blue marlin marlin
0.05 BlackBlack marlin marlin 0.045 Sailfish shortbillShortbill spear 0.04 spear
0.035
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec CPUE for yellowfin tuna (longline data) ChristmaChristmas Island 0.80.8 s Isl TarawaTarawa 0.70.7
0.60.6
0.50.5
0.40.4
0.30.3
0.20.2
0.10.1
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun Jul AugAug SeptSep Oct NovNov DecDec
33 CPUE for gamefish species - Kiritimati (Christmas Island - longline data)
0.10.1 Skipjack 0.090.09 Striped marlinmarlin Blue marlin 0.080.08 Black marlin Sailfish 0.070.07
0.060.06
0.050.05
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
00 JanJan Feb Mar AprApr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec
Tourism Tourism is still developing in Kiribati, which sees only around 3000 visitors per year. These come mainly from ‘Other Pacific countries’, Australia and the USA. There are no current data available on tourist numbers but they appear to have decreased slightly from 1993.
Number of visitors by country of origin
3,5003,500
3,0003,000
2,5002,500 Other countries
2,0002,000 Japan
US A
1,5001,500 Other Pacific co u n t r i e s New Zealand 1,000 1,000 Australia
500500
00 19911991 19921992 19931993 19941994 1995
34 Marshall Islands
Population 51,800 Land Area (km2) 181 EEZ area (km2) 2,131,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 2.43 Land area as % of EEZ 0.008 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 38.6
he Marshall Islands are composed of five coral islands, 29 atolls and more Tthan one thousand islets lying in two parallel chains that run northwest to south- east approximately 200 km apart. The east- ern group is the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain and the western is the Ralik (Sunset) Chain. The total area of the Marshall Islands is 181 sq km scattered over more than 200 million sq km of ocean. No island is more than a few metres above sea level. The highest point for the entire group is on Likiep, 10 metres above sea level.
It is thought that the Marshall Islands were first settled more than 2000 years ago. The name Marshall Islands was given in 1788 when the British sea captain William Marshall sailed through the atolls. During the late 19th century, Germany claimed sovereignty, then Japan after the First World War until 1945, when the US took control under a United Nations Trusteeship. A sovereign government was established in 1979 with a Compact of Free Association, giving independent nation status in 1986. The administrative centre is Majuro.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
35 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Around Majuro, Kwajalein and Arno atolls, as well as around a FAD off Majuro. Marinas There are government-owned facilities as well as some private ones. Boat ramps Six Jetties Government-owned facilities Charter vessels 25 (6–15m), 8 (16–60m). There is also a charter boat association P.O. Box 244, Majuro, MH 96960, Tel: +692 625-FISH; Fax: +692 62 53 017 Gamefishing clubs Marshalls Billfish Club Box 1139, Majuro, MH96960 Tel/Fax: +692 62 57 491 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.destmic.com/marshall.html/
Kwajalein Atoll Billfish Club Approximate number of Around 40 private fishing vessels Gamefish tournaments In the 3rd quarter of the year, and the Micronesian championship in July. Tourism contacts Marshall Islands Visitors Authority (MIVA) P.O. Box 5, Majuro, MH 96960. Republic of the Marshall Islands E-mail: [email protected] International angler [email protected] http://www.destmic.com/marshall.html/ http://www.rmiembassyus.org/geninfo.html/ Fisheries management contacts Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority P.O. Box 860 Majuro, 96960 Tel: +692 62 58 262; Fax: +692 62 55 447 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Blue marlin are the main billfish species caught all year, and tend to be more prolific from May to August. Yellowfin tuna are also caught throughout the year with a slight increase from July to November.
Gamefish seasonality There is little gamefish data to provide information on the seasonality of the main species. There is some information on the annual variability of catches that shows significant changes for yellowfin tuna and blue marlin. Other information obtained from the Marshall Billfish Club seems to indicate there is little change (if any) in the average weight of yellowfin tuna or blue marlin caught from 1988 to 1997.
Longline CPUE data shows that yellowfin tuna are caught fairly constantly throu g h the year with a slight increase in CPUE from June to September. Blue marlin, though caught in lower numbers, tend to show a rise in CPUE from March to
36 August. Striped marlin catch rates are quite low but increase in the early part of the ye a r . Black marlin catch rates are very low and appear not to show any distinct sea- so n a l i t y . Other gamefish species are not rec o r ded in longline data.
Average weight of blue marlin and yellowfin tuna - Marshall Islands tournament
350 350 BlueBlue marlin (n=263) marlin Blue marlinYellowfin (n=263) 300 (n=263) 300 (n=160)
250 250
200 200
150 150 +/- one standard deviation +/- one standard deviation
Blue marlin average weight (lbs.) 100 Blue marlin average weight (lbs.) 100
50 50
0 0 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Year Year CPUE - Marshall Islands annual tour na ments
0.5
0.4 Blue marlin
0.3
0.2
0.1 Yellowfin
0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
CPUE for yellowfin tuna (longline data)
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr May Jun Jul AugAug SeptSep OctOct NovNov Dec
37 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 0.1 Black marlin Blue marlin Striped marlin 0.1 Black marlin Blue marlin Striped marlin
0.090.09
0.080.08
0.070.07
0.060.06
0.050.05
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
00 JanJan Feb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
Tourism Tourism within the Marshall Islands has remained fairly steady since 1991, with a total of around 6000 visitors per year. Most of these visitors come from the USA, Japan, ‘Other Pacific countries’ and ‘Other countries’. There are not many visitors from Australia or New Zealand. The US provides the main source of visitors, which appears to be increasing slightly with time. Total numbers have decreased slightly since 1997.
Number of visitors by country of origin
Other countries
Other Pacific 7,0007,000 co u n t r i e s Ja p a n
6,0006,000 New Zealand
Australia Other 5,0005,000 USA countries Other Pacific countries 4,0004,000 Japan
New Zealand 3,0003,000 Australia
2,0002,000 USA
1,0001,000
00 19891989 1990 19911991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 19971997 19981998
38 Nauru
Population 11,500 Land Area (km2) 21 EEZ area (km2) 320,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 3.59 Land area as % of EEZ 0.007 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 8.52
he smallest republic on earth”, Nauru comprises a single island of 21 sq km with a circumference of 19 km. It is located 41 km south of the “Tequator and about 4000 km north of Sydney and 4457 km west of Honolulu.
The island itself rises from a sandy beach to form a fairly fertile belt, 50 to 300 m wide. Further inland the coral cliffs rise to a central plateau about 30 m above sea level. The plateau is composed largely of phosphate-bearing rock, which covers about three-fifths of the area. Nauru has historically depended on the mining of high-grade phosphate and this has affected the nature of the island with many mining sites now requiring restoration. The highest point is 70 m.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
39 Nauru was first visited by Europeans in 1798 in the British whaling ship the ‘Hunter’ and was subsequently named the ‘Pleasant Island’. It wasn’t until 1881 that the island came under German influence and reverted to its native name of Nauru. After World War I, Australia administered the island under a League of Nations mandate. Tourist infrastructure consists of two main hotels and includes rental cars and taxi services.
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Most fishing is out of Yaren – there is presently one FAD that is used occasionally. Marinas Currently there is a boat harbour but without any ramp – a crane is used to launch boats. It is thought that a new harbour may be constructed soon. Boat ramps There is limited boat access via two channels, one at Aiwo, which can be used all year, and one at Anibare that is only used during monsoons with a westerly wind. Jetties Minimal boat harbour. Charter vessels Two charter vessels operated by the one company. Equatorial Gamefish Charters. Fax: +674 44 43 759 Gamefishing clubs Nauru Fishermen’s Association meets once or twice per year. Equatorial Gamefishing Charters Tel: +674 55 54 550; Fax: +674 44 43 759. Approximate number More than 50 ranging from 3-metre punts to 7-metre runabouts. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Regular tournaments including Easter and Constitution Day (May). Tou r nament organised by the Fisheries Authority as well as privately. Tourism contacts Department of Island Development & Industry Republic of Nauru, Central Pacific Tel: +674 444 31 81; Fax: +674 444 37 91 http://www.airnaru.com.au/nauru.html Fisheries management contact Nauru Fisheries and Marine Resources Authority P.O. Box 449, Aiwo District Tel: +674 44 43 733; Fax: +674 44 43 812 Species availability Blue marlin may be caught all year; yellowfin tuna, while also being caught all year, show an increase in catch rates from October to December. In Nauru marlin are not normally a target species as many families believe that marlin are re-incarnations of long lost relatives.
Gamefish seasonality Gamefishing is carried out throughout the year, although the best fishing occurs from September to January. Longline CPUE data indicates that there is not a lot of variability in catch rates over the year, although yellowfin tuna tend to peak around October to November. This agrees with anecdotal gamefish information. Blue marlin longline catch rates indicate that fish are caught all year with a peak around December. Low catch rates occur in February. Longline catch rates for black and striped marlin are very low, though broadbill, which are presently not caught by gamefishermen, are caught mostly from March to September.
40 Longline data, while providing information on commercial catch rates of gamefish species, does not necessarily represent what occurs close to shore where gamefish vessels operate.
22 CPUE of gamefish species (longline data) BigeyeBigeye tuna tuna 1.81.8 YellowfinYellowfin tuna tuna
1.61.6
1.41.4
1.21.2
11
0.80.8
0.60.6
0.40.4
0.20.2
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
0.080.08 BlackBlack marlin CPUE for billfish (longline data) Blue marlin 0.070.07 Striped marlinmarlin SailfishSailfish 0.060.06 Swordfish
0.050.05
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
41 Tourism There is very little tourism in Nauru, mainly due to transport and infrastructure limitations.
42 New Caledonia
Population 212,700 Land Area (km 2) 19,103 EEZ area (km2) 1,740,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 12.2 Land area as % of EEZ 1.098 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita11.75
ew Caledonia is part of Melanesia and Grande Terre is the principal island. The other main islands are Nthe Loyalty islands of Lifou, Mare, Ouvea and Tiga, and the Isle of Pines. The capital, Noumea, is on Grande Terre, which is about 1850 km northeast of Sydney.
Grande Terre is the third largest island in the South Pacific. The land was first discovered by voyagers from Southeast Asia (who passed through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) and Polynesians. The Melanesian people are presumed to have come from Southeast Asia several thousand years ago.
Grande Terre is about 400 km long and 50 km wide. A chain of mountains extends along the centre, dividing the island into two distinctly different areas — the lush east coast, and the broad plains of the west coast. The Loyalty islands lie about 100 km to the east. The main island is surrounded by the world’s second largest coral reef (second only to the Australian Great Barrier Reef), which forms the largest lagoon in the world.
James Cook visited in 1774 but it wasn’t until 1853 that the French took posses- sion. It became a French Overseas Territory in 1946, though is now obtaining more autonomy under the 1999 Noumea Accord. Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
43 World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda M – 15 66.0 Passe de 6/10/90 unicolor Dumbea, Noumea
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Most fishing occurs outside the surrounding reef at Noumea including some of the passes. Fishing grounds (for Spanish mackerel) are only about 10 minutes out of Noumea. There is also good fishing outside the barrier reef around the island. Marinas There are two main marinas and two smaller ones in Noumea. Boat ramps There are six main boat ramps in Noumea proper as well as a number of other sites where boats can be launched. There are numerous other boat ramps and ‘beaches’ where boats can be launched around Grande Terre. Ouvea has around six concrete or wooden ramps, while Lifou has a number in the major towns. Jetties There are a number of jetties in Noumea as well as a large wharf area for ocean liners, cargo ships and commercial fishing vessels. Charter vessels There are seven main charter operations operating out of Noumea as well as ‘pilot-your-own’ charter boats. There are also charter operations based on the islands of Lifou and Mare, and the Isle of Pines. Gamefishing clubs Noumea: Section Pêche au Gros – part of the Club Nautique Calédonie http://www.new-caledonia.com/eng.htm/ http://www.ifrance.com/fishing/Accueil-anglais.htm/ Approximate number More than 500. Supposedly New Caledonia has the highest boat of private vessels ownership per capita in the Pacific. Gamefish tournaments Monthly club tournaments, as well as one or two international tournaments each year. There are also ‘inter-club’ tournaments with other Pacific countries. Tourism contacts New Caledonia Tourism BP 688, 98845 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia Tel: +687 272 632; Fax: +687 27 46 23 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.travelfile.com/get?newcal/ http://www.new-caledonia.com/eng.htm/ http://www.new-caledonia-tourism.nc/ Fisheries management contact Service Territorial de la Marine Marchande et des Peches Maritimes B.P. 36, 98845 Noumea Tel: +687 27 26 26; Fax: +687 28 72 86 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Spanish mackerel are caught all year, peaking between August and December. Blue marlin, black marlin and sailfish are caught all year, mainly outside the reef.
44 Gamefishing seasonality Like most gamefishing areas in the Pacific, there is a dis- tinct seasonality to most of the targeted species. Spanish mackerel (tazar), which are the mainstay of the gamefish- ing catch in New Caledonia, can be caught all year, but show peaks in August and November (spawning).
Dogtooth tuna can be caught all year (although more in the summer months) while longline data shows that most marlin species are caught throughout the year. Blue marlin is the main species caught, followed by striped marlin. Longline catch rates of black marlin are fairly low, but this species is caught closer to land so is not caught as much by longliners. Yellowfin tuna catches peak slightly from July to September, but are fairly common all year.
CPUE for spanish mackerel (gamefish data) 2.52.5
22
1.51.5
11
0.50.5
00 JanJan Feb MarMar Apr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
CPUE for billfish (longline data) Striped marlin marlin Blue marlin 0.050.05 Blue marlin Black marlin marlin Sailfish 0.0450.045
0.040.04
0.0350.035
0.030.03
0.0250.025
0.020.02
0.0150.015
0.010.01
0.0050.005
00 JanJan Feb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec
45 CPUE for yellowfin tuna (longline data) 0.70.7
0.60.6
0.50.5
0.40.4
0.30.3
0.20.2
0.10.1
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
Tourism New Caledonia caters to fairly large numbers of tourists each year, mainly from Japan and France, but also from Australia and ‘Other Pacific countries’. Tourist numbers have been increasing steadily since 1992, though appear to have levelled off in the last couple of years. Noumea boasts a good tourist infrastructure with hotels, restaurants and a variety of fishing options close at hand.
Number of visitors by country of origin
120,000120,000
100,000100,000
Other countries 80,00080,000 Japan
United States of AmericaOther countries 60,00060,000 France Other PacificJa p a n countries New ZealandUS A
40,00040,000 Australia Fr a n c e
Other Pacific co u n t r i e s 20,00020,000 New Zealand Australia
0 1991 1992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996 19971997 19981998
46 Niue
Population 1,900 Land Area (km 2) 259 EEZ area (km 2) 390,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 0.487 Land area as % of EEZ 0.066 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 54.2
iue is the world’s largest uplifted coral atoll and lies about 480 km to the east of Tonga and about 560 km to Nthe southeast of Samoa. The island has an area of 259 sq km, with a circumference of over 60 km. The island is 19 km long. Niue is a raised coral outcrop, probably the result of a series of tectonic upheavals. It has two distinct levels; highest is the central plain, which is covered with a dense low forest, the lower shelf surrounds the island and tops its cliffs. The upper shelf is 40 metres above the lower, which is around 30 metres above sea level. A coral reef encircles a precipitous and broken coastline. Most people live in villages on the western side of the island.
Niue was initially settled by Polynesians from Tonga, Samoa, and Pukapuka Island in Cook Island group. It was later sighted by James Cook in 1774, who refused to land and called it the Savage Island. In 1900, Niue gained British protection and in 1901 was annexed to New Zealand. In 1974, Niue attained the status of self- government in free association with New Zealand. Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
47 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Offshore around 200–300 m outside the reef on the western (lee) side for all species, though the exposed eastern side is preferred when weather permits, especially for wahoo. FAD fishing is common. Marinas None Boat ramps Two, though most boats launch via a gantry at the wharf. The ramps are only suitable for boats <5 m. All launchings are subject to favourable weather conditions. Jetties One with a gantry for boat launching for vessels up to 9 m. Charter vessels There are two main charter companies: Wahoo Fishing Charters Tel/Fax: +683 43 45 E-mail: [email protected] Horizon Charters Tel: +683 40 67/41 06; Fax: +683 40 10 Gamefishing clubs There are two associations: the Niue Island Fishermen’s Association Tel: +683 41 06; and the Niue Island Sportfishing Club Tel/Fax: +683 43 45 http://www.niueisland.com/newpage26.htm/ Approximate number There are around 30–40 small commercial and semi-commercial of private vessels vessels (3.6–5m). Gamefish tournaments There are no ‘International’ tournaments, though local tournaments are held regularly. Tourism contacts Niue Tourism Office P.O. Box 42, Alofi, Niue Tel: +683 4224 / 4394; Fax: +683 4225 E-mail: [email protected]/ http://www.niueisland.com/ http://www.visit.nu/ Fisheries management contact Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery P.O. Box 74, Alofi Tel: +683 40 32; Fax: +683 40 10 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Wahoo occur mainly from May to October; tunas are caught year round, but mainly in the warmer summer months. Most fishing for these is around FADs. Mahi mahi occur around the island; most catches occur around FADs, mainly from August–January. Billfish are caught mainly from July–March.
48 Gamefish Seasonality Wahoo are the main target species and are caught mostly from May to October, followed by yellowfin and skipjack tuna. Most tuna fishing is around FADs. Mahi mahi also occur around the island. Billfish are caught mainly between July and March, Sailfish are also commonly targeted, followed by mahi mahi and mar- lin species (mainly blue). Data from longline catches of gamefish species show that yellowfin are caught more in the winter months of April to August, while blue marlin are caught more in the summer months of January to April.
CPUE for billfish (longline data)
YellowfinYellow tuna StripedStriped marlin BlueBlue marlin -fin marlin marlin tuna 1414 BlackBlack marlin SailfishSailfish marlin 1212
1010
88
66
44
22
00 JanJan Feb Mar AprApr MayMay JunJun Jul AugAug SeptSep Oct NovNov DecDec
49 Tourism Information Recent tourism data for Niue is scarce although available data show that numbers have been decreasing slightly since 1993. The main source of visitors to Niue is New Zealand and ‘Other Pacific countries’.
The total number of visitors to the island each year (around 2160 in 1995) slightly exceeds the population of Niue.
Number of visitors by country of origin
3,5003,500
3,0003,000
2,5002,500
Other countries Other countries 2,0002,000 Ja p a n Japan Other Pacific Other Pacific countries 1,5001,500 co u n t r i e s New ZealandNew Zealand
Australia 1,0001,000 Australia
500500
00 1991 19921992 1993 19941994 19951995
50 Norfolk Island
Population 2,181 Land Area (km2) 34.5 EEZ area (km2) 402,700 Population per 100 km2 of EEZ 1.85 Land area as % of EEZ 0.009 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita
orfolk Island is a self-governing Nexternal territory of Australia. It is administered under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979, which provides the basis of the Territory's legislative, administrative and judicial systems.
Its area is 34.5 sq km and it is 1676 km east northeast of Sydney. The administrative centre is Kingston, locat- ed on the south coast, while Burnt Pine, located in the centre, is the commercial and shopping centre.
The island is volcanic and the 32-km coastline consists chiefly of high cliffs, although it slopes down to the sea in one small area on the south side (Kingston). The average elevation is 110 m.
There are four fishing charter operators on the island. Fishing is also carried out from the shore.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
51 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Fishing is carried out around the main island as well as the Nepean and Philip Islands, which are just to the south of the main island. Marinas None Boat ramps None Jetties There is one jetty at Kingston and another at the north of the island. Both jetties have crane facilities for launching boats. Both jetties and launching facilities are weather dependent. Charter vessels Four charter operators are currently operating Gamefishing clubs Norfolk Island Fishing Club P.O. Box 125, Norfolk Island Tel: +6723 22 469 Approximate number Around 100 ranging up to 8 m in length. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Occasional Tourism contacts Norfolk Island Tourism P.O. Box 211, Norfolk Island 2899 Tel: +6723 22 147; Fax: +6723 23 109; E-mail: [email protected] http://www.norfolkisland.com.au/ http://www.nf/ Fisheries management contact The Norfolk Island Fisheries Consultative Committee, along with the Norfolk Island Fishing Club, presently regulates recreational fishing on Norfolk island. Norfolk Island Government, Old Military Barracks, Norfolk Island, 2899.
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) manages the remainder of the EEZ (Australian). Australian Fisheries Management Authority P.O. Box 7051, Canberra Mail Centre, Canberra, ACT, 2610 Tel: +61+ 2 62 725 029; Fax: +61 2 62 725 036 http://www.afma.gov.au Species availability Year-round fishing for the main billfish species; peaks during the summer months for striped marlin; other billfish species occur fairly constantly throughout the year, though in lower numbers. Mahi mahi, kingfish and wahoo are also popular gamefish species.
Gamefish seasonality There is no available gamefish data but commercial longline data (mainly Japanese) show a distinct seasonality for albacore tuna with highest catch rates occurring from June to September. Yellowfin tuna are also caught, though to a lesser extent, mainly from March to May and August to October.
Striped marlin is the most caught billfish species (longline) and shows a peak in catch rates during the summer months of February to April. To date there have been few catches of marlin by recreational fishers (mainly blue marlin), though it is thought that other billfish species, especially striped marlin, could be success- fully targeted. Other species are caught in lower numbers and do not appear to exhibit much seasonality in catch rate.
52 CPUE for gamefish (longline data) AlbacoreAlbacore YellowfinYellowfin tuna tuna 4
3.5 3.5
3
3 2.5
2.52
1.5 1.5
1
0.5 0.5
0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SeptSep OctOct NovNov
CPUE for gamefish (longline data) Skipjack Blue marlin marlin 1.21.2 Striped marlin marlin Sailfish Swordfish 11
0.80.8
0.60.6
0.40.4
0.20.2
00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov
53 Tourism Tourism data show a gradual increase in visitor numbers to around 35,000 visitors each year. These come predominantly from Australia (around 83%) and New Zealand (14%). Tourism is the main source of income for Norfolk Island.
Number of visitors
40,00040,000
35,00035,000
30,00030,000
25,00025,000
20,00020,000
15,00015,000
10,00010,000
5,0005,000
00 1992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996 19971997 19981998 19991999
54 Northern Mariana Islands
Population 76,600 Land Area (km 2) 478 EEZ area (km2) 770,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 9.96 Land area as % of EEZ 0.062 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 36.8 he Commonwealth of the Northern TMariana Islands (CNMI) consists of 17 islands that make up a total land area of 478 sq km. The island chain runs approximately north to south for a distance of around 540 km. Only six of the islands are regularly inhabited.
The North e r n Marianas, together with Guam, com- prise the highest slope of a massive mountain range ris- ing more than 9.5 km off the floor of the Marianas Trench. They are mountain- ous islands of either lime- stone formation (southern islands) or of volcanic roc k (n o rt h e r n islands). They generally rise out of the sea in suc- cessive level terra c e s , with tables of fringing reefs. Saipan is the only island having a sizeable lagoon, extending along most of the western side of the island. Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
55 The islands are 2000 km southeast of Tokyo; 5160 km east of Hawai’i and 4720 km northwest of Sydney. The capital is Saipan, the largest island in the group with an area of 120 sq km.
It is thought the Northern Mariana Islands were settled around 3000 BC by sea- faring people from Southeast Asia. Formerly a colony of Spain (1521–1898), it was purchased by Germany (1899–1914), colonised by Japan (1941–44), con- quered by the US and then placed under the United Nation’s Security Council and administered by the US as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1945–78). It became a self-governing Commonwealth in 1978, in union with the United States. Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Mostly within 20 miles of Saipan and Tinian where FAD fishing occurs. Most fishing occurs between the northern and southwestern parts of the islands. Marinas Two marinas with permanent weigh stations – on-site launching ramps. Boat ramps Two additional ramps at other sites. Jetties Unknown Charter vessels 5–10 Gamefishing clubs Saipan Sport Fisherman Association. Approximate number Around 60–80, mostly fibreglass with outboards. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Saipan International Fishing Tournament, usually held in August. Tourism contacts Marianas Visitors Authority P.O. Box 861, Saipan, MP 96950 Tel: +670 66 43 200/1; Fax: +670 66 43 237 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.visit-marianas.com/ http://www.saipan.com/ Fisheries management contact Department of Lands and Natural Resources P.O. Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950 Tel: +1 670 32 29 830; Fax: +670 32 22 633 http://www.dfw.gov.mp/ http://www.saipan.com/gov/ Species availability Both blue and black marlin can be caught year round, with peak periods from March to August for blue marlin, and August to November for black marlin.
Gamefish seasonality Blue marlin are the main billfish caught by longliners around CNMI. Blue marlin, while caught all year, tend to be more prevalent from March to August. Black marlin are caught more from August to November. Swordfish are also caught by longliners but have not yet been targeted by gamefishermen. Striped marlin are also caught by longliners in quite large numbers in the beginning of the year from January to May. Yellowfin tuna are caught all year with the highest catch rates in June and again in November. Bigeye tuna, although not targetted by the game- fishery, are caught more in the northern summer months of May to August.
56 CPUE for billfish (longline data) Black marlin marlin 4.54.5 Blue marlin marlin StripedStriped marlin marlin
Sailfish 44 SwordfishSwordfish
3.53.5 3 3 2.5 2.5 2 2 1.5 1.5 1
0.50.5
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
CPUE for gamefish species (longline data) BigeyeBigeye 2525 YYellowfiellowfin n
2020
1515
1010
55
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
57 Tourism The main visitors to CNMI come from Japan; visitor numbers have gradually increased to over 400,000 per year up to 1995. Visitors from ‘Other countries’ and the USA are also gradually increasing. As of 1995, the total number of visitors was nearly 700,000 per year and slowly increasing.
Number of visitors by country of origin
Other countries 700,000 700,000 Ja p a n
US A 600,000600,000
500,000500,000
400,000400,000 Other countries
300,000300,000 Japan
US 200,000200,000
100,000100,000
00 19911991 1992 1993 1994 19951995
58 Palau
Population 19,100 Land Area (km2) 488 EEZ area (km2) 629,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 3.03 Land area as % of EEZ 0.078 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 39.3
he Republic of Palau is an archipelago of more than 300 islands, of which only Tnine are inhabited. The islands have a total land mass of nearly 500 sq km; Babeldaob, the largest island, which is volcanic and comprises 334 sq km. To the north lies Kayangel Atoll, while to the south lies the inter-connected trio of islands of Koror, Ngerkebesang and Malakal. Koror is the provi- sional capital of the Republic and is the most developed. A barrier reef some 181 km long and up to 32 km in width surrounds much of the main archipelago and forms an extensive and protected lagoon.
The Palauans are distant relatives of the Malays of Indonesia, Melanesians of New Guinea and Polynesians. It is thought that the first inhabitants came to Palau around 1000 BC.
Spain controlled Palau from 1895 to 1899, when it was sold to Germ a n y. After World War I, the islands passed to Japan until World War II when Palau became a United Nations Trust Te rr i t o ry. Palau eventually gained inde- pendence in 1994.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
59 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Inshore and offshore all year – no FADs. Marinas Three marinas as well as a public fisheries dock Boat ramps Unknown Jetties Unknown Charter vessels Three, though a number of dive tours also provide this service. Gamefishing clubs Palau Sports Fishing Association http://www.samstours.com/fishing.html Approximate number Unknown of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Annual derby in April each year. Also the Rotary fishing tournament in November. Tourism contacts Palau Visitors Authority P.O. Box 256, Koror, Palau 96940 Tel: +680 488 2793/488 1930; Fax: +680 488 1453 / 488 1725 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.visit-palau.com/ Fisheries management contact Bureau of Natural Resources and Development Palau Maritime Agency P.O. Box 100, Koror, 96940 Tel: +680 48 83 997; Fax: +680 48 81 475 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Due to Palau’s proximity to the equator, there is little seasonal variation in catch rates for the main gamefish species except for blue marlin, which show a peak from July to December. Yellowfin are caught in high numbers by commercial longliners.
Gamefish seasonality Palau is situated just above the equator so does not exhibit large oceanic varia- tions in water temperature. Gamefish species are present in Palau all year with lit- tle seasonal variation (longline data) with the exception of blue marlin, which are caught more from July to December. Catch rates of sailfish, striped marlin and broadbill (not targeted recreationally) also appear to increase slightly during the period from November to December. Yellowfin tuna, while caught all year, also exhibit a peak in July/August and November/December.
60 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 66
55 Black marlin marlin BlueBlue marlin marlin Striped marlin marlin 44 Sailfish Broadbill 33
22
11
00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
CPUE for yellowfin tuna (longline data)
1818
1616
1414
1212
1010
88
66
44
22
00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
61 Tourism Visitor numbers were just over 50,000 in 1995, and are increasing. Tourism spending represented nearly 47% of the $145.3 million GDP in 1996. The main sources of visitors are Japan and ‘Other countries’, followed by the USA, and Australia.
Number of visitors by country of origin
60,00060,000
50,00050,000 Other countries
Other countries 40,000 Ja p a n 40,000 Japan US A US Australia 30,00030,000 Australia
20,00020,000
10,00010,000
00 1991 19921992 19931993 19941994 19951995
62 Papua New Guinea
Population 4,790,800 Land Area (km2) 462,243 EEZ area (km2) 3,120,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 153,55 Land area as % of EEZ 20.5 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 4.29
apua New Guinea (PNG) has a land mass of just over 462,000 sq km. It is thought that when New Guinea was first settled it was part of a continuous Pcontinent stretching from Asia to Australia. The country encompasses the eastern part of New Guinea Island – reputedly the second largest in the world, plus some 600 other islands, atolls and coral reefs. The main islands are: Manus, New Ireland and New Britain that together make up the Bismarck Archipelago; the northernmost Solomon Islands of Bougainville and Buka; and the groups of islands to the east, including the Trobriands and D’Entrecasteaux. A central core of mountains, the Owen Stanley Range, runs east to west rising steeply from the coastal plains.
It is thought that at least 30,000 years ago the first human settlers came from mainland Asia and crossed the Indonesian archipelago. In 1545, the Spanish christened the island New Guinea but it wasn’t until the 1870s that the first European traders arrived. Towards the end of the 19th Century, the country was
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
63 divided into three zones: Dutch, German and British. In 1906 Australia adminis- tered the British zone (Papua) and after World War I administered the German zone. The Dutch-controlled zone was taken over by Indonesia in the 1960s (Irian Jaya). Internal self-government was granted in 1973 and full independence was achieved in 1975, whereupon the country became known as Papua New Guinea.
World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Mackerel, Scomberomorus M – 37 38.0 Pig Island 17/3/85 narrowbarred commerson
Mackerel, Scomberomorus W – 1 0.5 Avoro Island 14/4/82 narrowbarred commerson
Trevally, bigeye Caranx W – 2 3.04 Mosquito 27/11/88 sexfasciatus Island Trevally, bigeye Caranx W – 3 2.8 Duke of York 6/12/81 sexfasciatus Island Trevally, giant Caranx ignobilis W – 2 4.94 Singaua 24/9/89
Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda W – 60 41.2 Linden 13/1/93 unicolor Harbour
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Off the main centres all year depending on weather. FADs used off Lae, Kavieng, Port Moresby and Rabaul. Marinas Large marina at Port Moresby. One each at Madang and Lae. Boat ramps Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Kimbe and Lihir Jetties Port Moresby, Rabaul, Madang and Lae. Charter vessels Two part time in Madang. A few vessels at Port Moresby and Lae, and one or two part time at Rabaul. Gamefishing clubs Six clubs are active in Port Moresby, Madang, Rabaul (New Britain), Lae, Kimbe & Lihir. GFA PNG, Port Moresby GFC (IGFA), http://www.royalpapua-yc.com.pg/gfishing.htm/ New Britain GFC San Remo Fishing Club (Kimbe) Boroko Sport Fishing Club Lae GFC Lihir Gamefishing and Bluewater Club Madang GFC Approximate number Numbers of boats (large:>7.6 m; small:< 7.6 m) are: Madang 10+ of private vessels large, 20 small; Lae 15 large, 35 small; Kimbe 3 large, 10 small; Rabaul 5 large, 25 small; Port Moresby 20+ large, 40 small; and Lihir 1 large, 5 small. Gamefish tournaments A large annual tournament is held around April each year. These national gamefish titles are rotated among the clubs, which also hold tournaments throughout the year (usually on a monthly basis). Tourism contacts PNG Tourism Promotion Authority P.O. Box 1291, Port Moresby Tel: +675 32 00 211; Fax: +675 32 00 223; E-mail: [email protected] http://www.paradiselive.org.pg/ http://www.tiare.net.pg/tpa/
64 Fisheries management contact National Fisheries Authority P.O. Box 2016, Port Moresby Tel: +675 32 12 643; Fax: +675 32 02 074 Species availability PNG has year-round availability of gamefish species including billfish, mainly blue and black marlin. Spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna are also popular species caught all year. Most of the PNG coastline drops off very quickly, ensuring deep water and large pelagics fish close to shore.
Gamefish seasonality There are differences in seasonality of gamefish catch rates between northern and southern PNG, mainly due to oceanographic differences. While catch rates for blue marlin are similar from north to south, there are differences in seasonality; January to March is the main period in southern PNG; March to June is the peak period in northern PNG.
In southern PNG waters, blue marlin and sailfish show highest catch rates in February and then remain fairly stable for the rest of the year. Black and striped marlin are caught all year.
In northern PNG waters, blue marlin are caught more from March to June while black marlin show peak catch rates in January and then slowly decrease until they bottom out in October, whereupon they start increasing again. Swordfish are caught more from March to July while striped marlin and sailfish are caught in low numbers all year.
CPUE for billfish northern PNG 1990–2000 (longline data) 2.52.5 BlackBlack marlin marlin
BlueBlue marlin marlin
StripedStriped marlin marlin
22 SailfishSailfish
SwordfishSwordfish
1.51.5
11
0.50.5
00 JanJan Feb MarMar Apr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
65 CPUE for billfish - southern PNG 1990–2000 (longline data)
3.53.5 Black marlin marlin BlueStriped marlin marlin
StripedSwordfish marlin
33 SailfishBlue marlin
SwordfishSailfish
2.52.5
22
1.51.5
11
0.50.5
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
Tourism Visitor numbers to PNG are variable. They decreased in 1995, and have since increased slowly. Visitor numbers are further confused, because visitors from ‘Other Pacific countries’ were initially included in the category ‘Other countries’ until 1995. Australians are the main visitors followed by ‘Other Pacific countries’ and ‘Other countries’. Visitor numbers are presently low, due to security concerns.
Number of visitors by country of origin
140,000140,000
120,000120,000
100,000100,000 OtherOther countries countries Ja p a n Japan 80,00080,000 USUS A
OtherOther Pacific Pacific countries 60,00060,000 co u n t r i e s NZ New Zealand
Australia Australia 40,00040,000
20,00020,000
00 19921992 19931992 19941993 19941995 19951996 19971997
66 Pitcairn Islands
Population 47 Land Area (km 2) 5 EEZ area (km2) 800,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 0.0059 Land area as % of EEZ 0.001 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 170
itcairn Islands is made up of five islands, Pitcairn, Oeno, Sandy, PHenderson and Ducie, of which only the island of Pitcairn is inhabited (due to a lack of fresh water on the other islands). Pitcairn Island is only 3 km long by 1.5 km wide with a total land area of about 450 ha.
Pitcairn is a steep island with a rugged coastline. There are no streams, but abun- dant rainfall ensures fresh water.
Access to Pitcairn is possible only by sea, which consequently restricts visitor numbers. The population is close to fifty at present and everyone lives in a single, slightly scattered settlement called Adamstown.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x
67 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds The water depth increases rapidly directly off shore. There are no fringing reefs. Marinas None Boat ramps Boats have to be hauled out of the water due to the nature of the harbour. Jetties One main jetty. Charter vessels None Gamefishing clubs None Approximate number 10–20 of private vessels Gamefish tournaments None Tourism contacts Government of Pitcairn Islands http://www.nic.pn/ Fisheries management contact Office of the Governor of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands Private Box 105696, Auckland, New Zealand Tel: +64 9 36 60 186; Fax: +64 9 36 60 187 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.government.pn/ Species availability Most gamefish species are present around Pitcairn all year, though June to September appear to be the best months. Gamefish seasonality Very little information on gamefish seasonality is available for Pitcairn Islands although longline data from adjacent areas (mainly to the east of French Polynesia) indicate that all the main gamefish species are present. Both striped and blue marlin are present with both showing increased catch rates from June to October. Broadbill swordfish and black marlin are also caught, but at much lower catch rates. Albacore is the most caught tuna followed by yellowfin tuna. The catch rate for bigeye tuna is lower. Yellowfin tuna exhibits an increase in catch rate from February to April with another small peak in November.
CPUE for gamefish species (longline data)
8080 AlbacoreAlbacore BigeyeBigeye 7070 YellowfinYellowin
6060
5050
4040
3030
2020
1010
00 Jan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
68 Black marlin CPUE for billfish (longline data) Blue marlin marlin 3.53.5 Striped marlin marlin Swordfish 33
2.52.5
22
1.51.5
11
0.50.5
00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov Tourism There is very little tourism to Pitcairn; most visitors come from cruise ships or passing yachts. There are no flights into Pitcairn, nor regular boats.
69 70 Samoa
Population 169,200 Land Area (km2) 2,381 EEZ area (km2) 120,000 Population per 100 km2 of EEZ 141 Land area as % of EEZ 2.359 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 19.4
amoa consists of two main islands, Upolu and Savai’i; two smaller islands, Apolima and Manono; and five uninhabited islets. Savai’i is the largest island S(around 72 km long by 35 km wide) but the capital, Apia is situated on the more populated island of Upolo (72 km long by 24 km wide).
The islands are volcanic and physically similar to the Hawaiian Islands, and are dominated by rugged mountain ranges with a 4–5 km skirt of gently sloping fertile land. Savai’i has a central core of volcanic peaks surrounded by a ring of lava- based plateaus, then lower hills and coastal plains. Upolu has a chain of volcanic peaks running from one end of the island to the other, with hills and coastal plains on either side.
In the 18th Century, the French named them the ‘Navigator Islands’, but for 2000 years, these islands had been known as Samoa. Samoa became the first South Pacific Island nation to achieve independence (1962).
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x
71 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Around Upolu, mainly on the northwestern side and near Manono Island. Marinas A new marina is planned in Apia. Boat ramps Three in Apia and there are plenty of places to launch boats off the beach around the island. Jetties In Apia, a wharf caters to smaller boats near the fish market. A larger wharf at the other end of town caters mainly to freight vessels. Charter vessels There are around 20 vessels that can be chartered. These range from 4.3-m aluminium runabouts, through alias (catamarans), to 24-m longliners. Gamefishing clubs Samoa International Game Fishing Association (SIGFA). E-mail: [email protected] http://www.samoa.net.ws/sigfa/ Approximate number of Around 40, with many of the commercial alias also used for private vessels gamefishing as required. Gamefish tournaments SIGFA holds an annual tournament around August each year. Monthly competitions are also held. Tourism contacts Samoa Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 2272, Apia Tel: +685 20 878; Fax: +685 20 886. E-mail: [email protected] http://www.samoa.co.nz Fisheries management contact Department of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries and Meteorology P.O. Box 1874, Apia Tel: +685 20 369; Fax: +685 24 292 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability All the main gamefish species are caught all year, though peak catches of mahi mahi, yellowfin and albacore tuna occur from May through October. Blue marlin occur more in the summer months.
Gamefish seasonality Information obtained from the commercial alia (longline) fleet indicates there is little seasonality of catch rates for albacore and yellowfin tuna. Blue marlin are caught more in the summer months from October to February. There does not appear to be much seasonality for other species.
72 CPUE for gamefish species (longline data)
3.53.5
33
2.52.5 AlbacoreAlbacore 22 YellowfinYellowfin
1.51.5
11
0.50.5
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr MayMay Jun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec CPUE for blue marlin (longline data) 0.070.07
0.060.06
0.050.05
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar Apr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
73 Tourism Visitor numbers have slowly increased since 1991 to around 70,000 per year. Numbers have remained fairly constant since 1994, but increased markedly in 1999 and 2000 due to political unrest in Fiji. Visitors come mostly from ‘Other Pacific countries’ (mainly American Samoa) and then New Zealand, followed by ‘Other countries’, Australia and the USA in about equal numbers.
Number of visitors by country of origin OtherOther countries USUS A 80,00080,000 OtherOther PacPacific countries co u n t r i e s 70,00070,000 NZNew Zealand AustraliaAustralia 60,00060,000
50,00050,000
40,00040,000
30,00030,000
20,00020,000
10,00010,000
00 19911991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 19971997
74 Solomon Islands
Population 447,900 Land Area (km 2) 28,370 EEZ area (km2) 1,340,000 Population per 100 km2 of EEZ 33.4 Land area as % of EEZ 2.117 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 22.3
he Solomon Islands are the second largest island chain in the region and are spread over nearly one Tand a half million square kilometres of EEZ. The main island group, including Guadalcanal, Santa Isabel and Choiseul, lies in the northwest section of the EEZ with the smaller Santa Cruz and Duff islands lying to the southeast.
The Solomon Islands are a scattered archipelago of mountainous islands and low- lying coral atolls comprising ten large islands or island groups. The main islands are of ancient volcanic origin, with steep mountains and deep, narrow valleys. Much of the coastline is fringed with coral reefs and lagoons. Only Guadalcanal, which has the highest mountain, has extensive coastal plains. Most of the smaller islands are coral atolls.
Colonised in 1893 by the British and declared a protectorate, the island nation gained independence in 1978.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
75 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Mostly out of Honiara, Tambea and Gizo, both bluewater and reef fishing. Marinas One jetty at Gizo and a marina at Point Cruz Yacht Club in Honiara. Boat ramps Unknown Jetties Point Cruz Yacht Club in Honiara. Charter vessels One at Lola Resort in Vona Vona Lagoon plus a couple of other charter vessels, one in Tambea and Gizo. Gamefishing clubs Point Cruz Yacht Club. Approximate number of There are a number of different types ranging from dugout canoes, private vessels motor canoes and sport fishing craft. Gamefish tournaments Normally two main tournaments each year. Tourism contacts Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 321, Honiara, Solomon Islands Tel: +677 22 442; Fax: +677 23 986 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] http://www.commerce.gov.sb/tourism/index.htm/ Fisheries management contact Department of Agriculture and Fisheries P.O. Box G13, Honiara Tel: +677 30 108; Fax: +677 30 256 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Year-round fishing for mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, and shark. Peak periods for billfish species appear to be around December to February and July to August.
Gamefish seasonality Solomon Islands has a large EEZ that extends from 5°S to 15°S. The seasonality of the gamefish species varies depending on latitude and prevailing oceanographic conditions. Blue marlin, which is the predominant longline-caught billfish species in the area, shows a distinct seasonality with a peak occurring during the summer months of November to March as well as around July to September. The other billfish species, while caught in lower numbers, show a similar catch pattern. Yellowfin tuna, which are caught in much larger numbers by longliners, show a peak around May to July, i.e. the winter months.
76 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 0.070.07 Striped marlin marlin 0.060.06 Blue marlin marlin Black marlin marlin 0.050.05 Sailfish
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec CPUE for yellowfin tuna (longline data) 22
1.81.8
1.61.6
1.41.4
1.21.2
11
0.80.8
0.60.6
0.40.4
0.20.2
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
77 Tourism Tourism data show that visitor numbers have been increasing steadily since the early 1990s when they were around 4400. Numbers increased to more than 10,000 in 1996 (last data available, SPC 1999), though numbers will have decreased during 1999 and 2000 due to political unrest. Most of these visitors come from Australia (cheap package deals) with ‘Other countries’ and ‘Other Pacific countries’ also being important. The next most important source of visitors is New Zealand.
Number of visitors by country of origin
Other countries Other 12,00012,000 countries Japan Ja p a n
United StatesUS A of America 10,00010,000 Other PacificOther Pacific countriesco u n t r i e s New Zealand
AustraliaNew Zealand 8,0008,000 Australia
6,0006,000
4,0004,000
2,0002,000
0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
78 Tokelau
Population 1,500 Land Area (km 2) 12 EEZ area (km2) 290,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 0.517 Land area as % of EEZ 0.004 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita127.3
okelau, a territory of New Zealand, consists of three large atolls 480 km north of Samoa. In British colonial times, it was known as the Union TGroup. The three main atolls are Nukunonu, Atafu and Fakaofo. At no point does the land rise more than five metres above sea level.
Each atoll consists of a number of reef-bound islets encircling a lagoon. The islets vary in size from 90 m to 6 km in length. From Atafu in the north to Fakaofo in the south, the group extends for just less than 200 km.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
79 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Mostly around the reef with some around FADs. Marinas Unknown Boat ramps Nukunonu has two, with one each at Atafu and Fakaofo. Jetties Unknown Charter vessels Unknown Gamefishing clubs Unknown Approximate number Around 30 outboard powered dinghies. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Unknown Tourism contacts Unknown Fisheries management contact Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Atafu Tel: +690 21 28; fax: +690 21 08 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability The peak fishing months for most gamefish species appear to be January and February, though good catches are also recorded from July to October.
Gamefish seasonality Both albacore and yellowfin tuna show distinct seasonality (longline data). Peak catches occur from October to February for albacore while yellowfin appear to have two peaks, one in August/September and the other in January/February.
Blue marlin are the main billfish species and are caught all year with a major peak in January/February, decreasing markedly in March then increasing in April whereupon the catch rate remains fairly stable until October when it decreases again. Black and striped marlin are also present and appear to have a similar sea- sonality. There are no gamefishing data available for Tokelau.
80 CPUE for gamefish species (longline data) 1818 AlbacoreAlbacore 1616 YFTYellowfin 1414 1212 1010 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
CPUE for billfish (longline data) Striped marlin marlin Blue marlin 0.050.05 Blue marlin Black marlin marlin Sailfish 0.0450.045
0.040.04
0.0350.035
0.030.03
0.0250.025
0.020.02
0.0150.015
0.010.01
0.0050.005
00 JanJan Feb MarMar Apr MayMay JunJun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec
81 Tourism Tourism is very limited due to restricted access to the islands. There are no air flights to the country and all visitors must come by sea, again with only limited landings. There is very little tourism infrastructure in place.
82 Kingdom of Tonga
Population 100,200 Land Area (km2) 780 EEZ area (km2) 700,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 14.3 Land area as % of EEZ 0.111 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 9.31
onga consists of three Tgroups of small islands: Vava’u, Ha’apai and Tongatapu. Tonga is the last remaining Polynesian kingdom and has been settled since the 5th Century BC. There are about 150 islands of which about 36 are inhabit- ed. Tongatapu, the main island, is 29 km long and 14.5 km wide. The capital, Nuku’alofa, is on Tongatapu as is the deep water harbour. From north to south, the kingdom extends 750 km from Niuatoputapu to ‘Eua. Apart from ‘Eua, the islands have no distinct mountains. Most of the islands are raised coral, with an overlying soil developed from vol- canic ash.
Tonga was first visited by Europeans (Dutch) in 1616, and named the ‘Friendly Islands’ by Cook in 1773. In 1900, under a Treaty of Friendship and Protection, Great Britain agreed to look after Tonga’s foreign interests and protection. While remaining completely autonomous, Tonga became a protected state (not a protec- torate) of the UK. In 1968, Tonga assumed full responsibility for its own internal affairs.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x
83 World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date Pacific sailfish Istiophorus M – 24 95.5 ‘Eua Island 7/7/90 platypterus
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Most fishing in the northern Vava’u group occurs on the western side, which is protected from the prevailing wind. There are three FADs situated here. Fishing in the south occurs around Nuku’alofa, which presently has one FAD. There is also limited fishing in the central Ha’apai group. Marinas One marina in Nuku’alofa. Boat ramps A couple in Vava’u and Nuku’alofa. Jetties Numerous jetties in both Vava’u and Nuku’alofa. Charter vessels Four in Nuku’alofa with another 10 or so in Vava’u (some only part year). Gamefishing clubs Tongan International Game Fishing Association. Approximate number >200. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments A number from late June to early December. An annual International Billfish Tournament is held each year, usually around September with the Royal Tongan Airlines International Tournament often held in October. The National Billfish Tournament is also held towards the end of the year. Tourism contacts Tonga Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 37, Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga Tel: +676 21 733 or 23 507; Fax: +676 22 129 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] ; [email protected] http://www.tongaonline.com/ http://www.tongaholiday.com/fishing.htm/ http://www.vacations.tvb.gov.to/ Fisheries management contact Ministry of Fisheries P.O. Box 871, Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga Tel: +676 21 399; Fax: +676 23891 e-mail: [email protected] Species availability Tuna are caught more in the months of March to June while blue marlin are caught more in the summer months of November to February.
Gamefish seasonality Data derived from longliners shows there are peaks in catch rates for both mahi mahi and wahoo from April to June, as well as in November and December. Catch rates for billfish recorded by longliners show a gradual increase from August, peaking in October/November, though blue marlin also show increased catch rates in January and February.
Data from gamefish charter vessels around Vava’u show monthly and annual variations in catch rates. Yellowfin exhibit the highest CPUE, though this also varies from year to ye a r . Yellowfin showed particularly high CPUEs during the last half of 1998 and the first half of 1999 with peaks in September, December and Februa r y, quite possibly moon related. Mahi mahi show increased catch rates again during the summer months. Wahoo are caught in lesser numbers, though again more in the summer months.
84 CPUE of billfish (longline data)
0.090.09 Striped marlin marlin Blue marlin 0.080.08 Blue marlin Black marlin marlin Sailfish 0.070.07 Sailfish
0.060.06
0.050.05
0.040.04
0.030.03
0.020.02
0.010.01
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul Aug SepSept Oct Nov DecDec
CPUE for gamefish (longline data) 0.0140.014
Mahi mahi mahi 0.0120.012 WahooWahoo
0.010.01
0.0080.008
0.0060.006
0.0040.004
0.0020.002
0 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
CPUE for gamefish species - Vava’u (charter vessel) 8.008.00 MahiMahi mahi WahooWahoo 7.007.00 YellowfinYellowfin tuna tuna 6.006.00
5.005.00
4.004.00
3.003.00
2.002.00
1.001.00
0.000.00
jan-97fév-97 avr-97mai-97juin-97juil-97 sep-97oct-97nov-97 jan-98fév-98 avr-98mai-98juin-98juil-98 sep-98oct-98nov-98 jan-99fév-99 mars-97 aoû-97 déc-97 mars-98 aoû-98 déc-98 mars-99
85 CPUE for gamefish species - Vava’u (charter vessel)
1.80 1.80 Blue marlin marlin SailfishSailfish 1.601.60 BarracudaBarracuda DogtoothDogtooth tuna tuna
CaranxCaranx 1.40 1.40 SpanishSpanish mackerel mackerel
1.201.20
1.001.00
0.800.80
0.600.60
0.400.40
0.200.20
0.000.00 jan- fév- ma avr- mai- juin- juil- aoû- sep- oct- nov- déc- jan- fév- ma avr- mai- juin- juil- aoû- sep- oct- nov- déc- jan- fév- ma 97 97 rs-97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 98 98 rs-98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 99 99 rs-99
Tourism The number of visitors to Tonga has remained fairly constant from 1991 to 1996 at around 25,000 per year. Most visitors come from New Zealand, ‘Other coun- tries’, the USA and Australia. Tourism infrastructure has improved over the last few years, although flights into Tonga are limited.
Number of visitors by country of origin
30,000
25,000
Other 20,000 countries Japan
US
15,000 Other Pacific countriesOther countries NZ Japan 10,000 Australia US A
Other Pacific 5,000 co u n t r i e s New Zealand
Australia 00 1991 1992 1993 19941994 1995 19961996
86 Tuvalu
Population 9,900 Land Area (km2) 24 EEZ area (km2) 900,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 1.1 Land area as % of EEZ 0.003 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 81.5 uvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Tcluster of nine low-lying atolls (only eight inhabited) sc a t t e r ed over 900,000 sq km of the Pacific Ocean to the no r th of Fiji Islands. The total land area is 24 sq km.
The capital and main island is Funafuti, which has an area of 2.8 sq km. The atolls extend over 560 km in a northwest to southeast direction. They are no more than five metres above sea level.
It is thought that the original inhabitants were Polynesians who came from Samoa and Tonga. European traders first arrived in the 1820s, though the first known European sighting was by the Spanish in 1565. In 1819 it was ‘rediscovered’ by the English and named ‘Ellice’. Tuvalu first came under British jurisdiction in 1877, became part of the British Protectorate of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1892 and then became a colony in 1916. Tuvalu was legally separated from the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) in 1975 and became an independent constitutional monarchy in 1978.
Tuvalu is fairly under-developed with regards to organised charter gamefishing, though it does have good fisheries resources. The main tournaments held are in conjunction with the commercial troll fisheries and consist of a competition between the commercial vessels as to who can catch the first and most fish. Tuvalu fishermen, especially in the outer islands, still use handmade (usually out of shell) traditional lures, and these work extremely well. Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x
87 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Unknown Marinas Unknown Boat ramps Unknown Jetties Boats are carried ashore by hand, although the Fisheries Department has a slipway for larger boats. Charter vessels Unknown Gamefishing clubs Unknown Approximate number >100 outboard boats of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Occur on special occasions throughout the year. Tourism contacts Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Commerce Private Mail Bag, Vaiaku, Funafuti, Tuvalu Tel: +688 20 184; Fax: +688 20 829 http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/tuvaluonline/index.htm/ Fisheries management contact Fisheries Department Ministry of Natural Resources Development Private mail bag, Funafuti Tel: +688 20 344; Fax: +688 20 346 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Blue marlin are caught more from March to July while yellowfin tuna are caught all year.
Gamefish seasonality Blue marlin are the main billfish caught (longline data); catch rates are highest from March to July. Black marlin, sailfish and striped marlin are caught in lesser numbers, though show no obvious seasonality.
The main tuna species caught on longline are albacore and yellowfin tuna. Albacore exhibit peak catch rates in February/March with catches then decreasing over the year. Yellowfin tuna exhibit more stable catch rates, peaking in July.
88 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 66 BlackBlack marlin marlin
BlueStriped marlin marlin 55 StripedSwordfish marlin
SailfishBlue marlin
44 SwordfishSailfish
33
22
11
00 JanJan FebFeb Mar AprApr MayMay JunJun Jul AugAug SeptSep Oct NovNov DecDec
CPUE for gamefish (longline data) 7070
6060
AlbacoreAlbacore 50 50 YellowfinYellowfin tuna tuna
4040
3030
2020
1010
00 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec
89 Tourists Visitor numbers to Tuvalu are minimal with no appreciable change from 1991 to 1996. Most visitors come from ‘Other Pacific countries’, ‘Other countries’ and Australia.
Number of visitors by country of origin
1,4001,400
1,2001,200
1,0001,000 Other countries
Japan 800800 US Other countries
Other JapanPacific 600600 countries NZ US A Australia 400400 Other Pacific co u n t r i e s
New Zealand 200200 Australia
00 19911991 19921992 19931993 19941994 19951995 19961996
90 Vanuatu
Population 199,800 Land Area (km2) 12,190 EEZ area (km2) 680,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 29.4 Land area as % of EEZ 1.793 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita10.23
ormerly known as the New FHebrides, Vanuatu is a Y-shaped chain of over 80 islands extending about 800 km from north to south. The main island, Efate, with the administrative centre Port Vila, is about 2250 km northeast of Sydney.
Half of the islands are islets and rocky volcanic outcrops, the other half have numerous peaks in a terrain dominated by mountains and plateaus with only limited coastal plains. There are a num- ber of active volcanoes within the group. The largest single island is Espiritu Santo.
The first settlers, mainly from Papua New Guinea via Solomon Islands, arrived in Vanuatu 3500 years ago. The first European visit was in 1605 and in 1768 the islands were named the ‘Great Cyclades’. In 1776 they were renamed the New Hebrides by James Cook. The islands eventually received their present name of Vanuatu in 1980 when they achieved independence after 74 years of joint rule (condominium) by Britain and France.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
91 World Records Common Name Species name Line class Weight (kg) Place Date
Trevally, giant Caranyx W – 60 40.50 Port Vila 12/12/98 ignobilis
Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Most fishing occurs to the south and southwest of Port Vila, usually within close proximity. Gamefish have been caught just outside the harbour area. Marinas None Boat ramps There are a number of coral ramps or beach access areas around Efate as well as a concrete ramp in Port Vila. Jetties There are a number of jetties in Port Vila. Vessels are also able to tie-up to the extensive main harbour wall. Charter vessels Approximately nine charter vessels operated by six companies. Gamefishing clubs Port Vila Game Fishing Club Meetings held at the Waterfront Bar E-mail: [email protected] Approximate number 40–50 of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Late November – International Vanuatu Game Fishing Tournament. Other tournaments are held through the year, including Easter. Tourism contacts Vanuatu National Tourism Development Office Private Mail Bag 099, Port Vila, Vanuatu Tel: +678 26 020; Fax: +678 24 422 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.vanuatu.net.vu/ http://www.vanuatutourism.com/ Fisheries management contact Department of Fisheries Private mail bag 045, Port Vila Tel: +678 23 119; fax: +678 23 641 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Both of the main marlin species are caught more from November to March. The smaller gamefish species such as mahi mahi and wahoo are caught more towards the middle of the year.
Gamefish seasonality Blue marlin have the highest CPUE for longliners operating around Vanuatu, with highest catches in the summer months, from January through April/May. Blue marlin is caught all year. Black marlin, while caught in lesser numbers, appear to be caught more in the winter months, from April to September. Striped marlin are also caught more in the winter months. Sailfish are not often recorded in longline logbooks, although what information is available indicates they are caught more in the summer months. Wahoo and mahi mahi tend to be caught more in the winter months. Dogtooth tuna, barracuda and giant trevally are also caught all year, as is albacore, which peaks around July. Yellowfin also exhibit higher catch rates from March to September. The catch rate of bigeye tuna is much less, and remains fairly constant through the year.
92 CPUE for billfish (longline data) 0.040.04 BlackBlack marlinmarlin 0.0350.035 Blue marlinmarlin Striped marlin marlin 0.030.03 SailfishSailfish Swordfish 0.0250.025
0.020.02
0.0150.015
0.010.01
0.0050.05 0 0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SeptSep OctOct NovNov DecDec
CPUE for gamefish (longline data) 3.50.05 AlbacoreAlbacore Bigeye 0.045 3 YellowfinYellowfin 0.04
2.50.035
0.032 0.025 1.5 0.02 0.0151 0.01 0.5 0.005
0 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
93 Tourism Vanuatu is a popular tourist destination within the South Pacific with more than 45,000 tourists visiting annually. This number has been slowly increasing with most tourists coming from Australia, ‘Other Pacific countries’ and New Zealand. There has been an upsurge in tourists coming from Australia since 1994.
Number of visitors by country of origin
50,00050,000
45,00045,000
40,00040,000
35,00035,000 Other countries 30,00030,000 Japan US 25,00025,000 France Other Pacific countries 20,00020,000 New Zealand AustraliaOther countries 15,000 15,000 Ja p a n
10,00010,000 US A Fr a n c e 5,0005,000 Other Pacific co u n t r i e s 00 New Zealand 19911991 19921992 19931993 19941994 1995 1996 Australia
94 Wallis & Futuna
Population 14,400 Land Area (km2) 255 EEZ area (km2) 300,000 Population per 100 km 2 of EEZ 4.8 Land area as % of EEZ 0.085 Subsistence fisheries production kg/capita 17.7
allis & Futuna consists of two Wmain island groups about 200 km apart, situated to the northeast of Fiji Islands.
Wallis consists of one major island, Uvea, sur- rounded by a barrier reef with 19 uninhabited islets. Together they extend for 21 km. Uvea, is volcanic but its highest point is only 145 metres above sea level. Futuna and Alofi are both volcanic as well and are surrounded by a fringing reef. The only anchorage for Futuna is Sigave Bay. Mountains run the length of the island.
Wallis & Futuna is the smallest of France’s South Pacific territories. Although these islands were discovered by the Polynesians thousands of years ago, not until 1616 did the Dutch name them the Horn Islands. Wallis was declared a French protectorate in 1886, Futuna in 1887. In 1924, the protectorate officially became a colony. In 1959, people voted to upgrade their status to that of an overseas terri- tory, which was granted in 1961.
Available species Blue Marlin Black Marlin Striped Marlin Sailfish Swordfish Shortbill Spearfish x x Yellowfin Tuna Skipjack Tuna Other Tunas Wahoo Mahi mahi Shark x x x x x x
95 Gamefishing Facilities Main fishing grounds Most trolling occurs outside the lagoon at Wallis, often around two FADs. There is no lagoon at Futuna. Marinas One at Mata’utu (Wallis). Boat ramps Two boat ramps at Wallis (can’t be used at low tide) and one boat ramp at Futuna. Jetties A wharf at Sigave on the south coast of Futuna and a yacht club/marina at Mata’utu (Wallis). Charter vessels None Gamefishing clubs Unknown Approximate number >10, with no vessels larger than 10m equipped for gamefishing. of private vessels Gamefish tournaments Unknown Tourism contacts http://wallis-islands.com/index.gb.htm/ Fisheries management contact Service de l’Économie Rurale et de la Pêche BP 19, Mata’utu, 98600, Uvea Tel: +681 72 04 00; Fax: +681 72 04 04 E-mail: [email protected] Species availability Blue and black marlin show increased catch rates at the beginning of the year and around April/May as well as towards the end of the year.
Gamefish seasonality Albacore, while not a main gamefish species, is caught by longliners all year with the lowest catch rates occurring in May and the highest in November and December. Yellowfin tuna are caught all year with a peak from March to June.
The billfish species are caught all year with blue marlin being the most caught fol- lowed by sailfish and striped marlin. Catch rates for all billfish species are variable with peaks around November to January as well as in April and September. Broadbill swordfish are also caught by longliners but are not caught recreationally.
96 CPUE for gamefish (longline data) AlbacorAlbacoree BigeyeBigeye 2 2 YYellowfinellowfin 1.81.8
1.61.6
1.41.4 1.2 1.2 1 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.40.4 0.20.2 00 Jan FebFeb MarMar AprApr MayMay JunJun JulJul AugAug SepSept OctOct NovNov DecDec CPUE for billfish (longline data)
BlackBlack marlin marlin 0.09 0.09 Blue marlin marlin Striped marlin marlin 0.080.08 Sailfish Swordfish 0.070.07
0.060.06
0.05 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.01
0 JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprApr May JunJun JulJul Aug SepSept OctOct Nov Dec
97 Tourism No information is available on tourism or visitor numbers.
98 Conclusions It is apparent from developing this guide that there is a major deficiency in the amount and quality of gamefish data available from many countries. It is in the interest of developing gamefish industries to be able to base their forward projec- tions on reliable historic data, especially in regards to species abundance and sea- sonality. There is a need for the collection and archiving of gamefish data on a central database. This database has now been developed at SPC and is available for data entry and retrieval. It is the intention to continually update this database with information provided by member countries to assist in the management of these important fisheries.
It is hoped that member countries will provide further information to update the information in this guide and make use of the database as required.
Acknowledgements Thanks go to all the country representatives who provided information for this guide as well as to staff of the SPC who provided much of the information used here. Information was not only provided by government organisations, but also by numerous non-governmental organisations, including International Game Fishing Association representatives in individual countries, by sportfishing clubs and indi- viduals. Special thanks go to Sarah Langi and Kim Des Rochers at SPC for editor- ial assistance and advice and to Muriel Borderie for layout.
99 References
BRS. 2000. Assessment of black marlin and blue marlin in the Australian Fishing Zone. Report of the Black and Blue Marlin Working Group. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, - Australia, Canberra, Australia. July 2000.
Campbell, R.J. Pepperell and T. Davis. 2000. Analysis of historical charter boat data to assess black marlin catch rates in the recreational fishery off northern Queensland, Australia. Final report to Australian Fisheries Management Authority. CSIRO Division of Marine Research. 55p.
Campbell, R.J. Pepperell, P. Ward and D. Williams. 1996. Synopsis on the billfish stocks within the Australian fishing zone with emphasis on the stocks of eastern Australia. Internal report compiled by the Billfish Assessment Group for ECTUNAMAC. Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra.
Dalzell, P., T.J.H. Adams and N.V.C. Polunin. 1996. Coastal fisheries in the Pacific Islands. Oceanography and marine biology: an annual review 1996. 34. 395–531.
Douglas, N. and N. Douglas (eds). 1994. Pacific Islands Yearbook. 17th edn. Fiji Times LTD, Fiji.
International Game Fish Association. 1999. World Record Game Fishes. Dania Beach, Florida, USA.
International Trade and Tourism. 1999. The Pacific Island Trade and Tourism Directory. ITT Inc., Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Pepperell, J.G. 1994. The value of game fishing. In: Bluewater Fishing, Game Fishing Association of Australia. 12–13.
SPC. 2001. SPC Fisheries address book. Prepared by the Information Section of the SPC Marine Resources Division. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Nouméa, New Caledonia. 103p.
SPC. 2000. Selected Pacific Economies – A statistical summary Number 15. Demography / Population Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. 1999. Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific region - 1998 Annual Report. Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Whitelaw, A.W. 2000. The billfish resources and gamefishing potential of the Kingdom of Tonga. Oceanic Fisheries Programme Report, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.
100 Whitelaw, A.W. and J. Pepperell, 2000. Present knowledge on Game Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific. Working paper BBRG–2; Thirteenth Meeting of the Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish, 5–12 July 2000. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Williams, D. McB. 1994. Coral Sea Region Billfish Atlas: Seasonal distribution and abundance of billfish species around the Coral Sea rim. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 90p.
101 Gamefish - biological knowledge
Introduction The following information is general. Additional information and references can be found in various publications on the SPC web site: http://www.spc.int/
Blue Marlin ( Makaira mazara ) The blue marlin is a true oceanic tropical marlin species and is the most common- ly caught marlin species in the Pacific. It carries out long-distance seasonal migra- tions and is sexually dimorphic, with females attaining much greater weights than males. It is estimated that blue marlin live to around 30 years of age. Blue marlin can be identified by their moderately high dorsal fin (approximately 2/3 body depth) and moveable pectoral fin (can lie along body).
The blue marlin is found principally in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and is rarely found in shallow nearshore waters. Its latitudinal range is from 45°N in the western north Pacific Ocean and 35°N in the eastern north Pacific, to 35°S in the western South Pacific and 25°S in the eastern South.
Blue marlin are believed to comprise a single ocean-wide stock. A recent stock assessment found the blue marlin stock in the Pacific to be in a healthy condition, with the current levels of biomass and fishing effort near the levels required to maintain the average maximum sustainable yield cite.
Recent tagging studies indicate an annual movement of fish back to the site from where they were initially tagged, though this depends on the size and maturity of the fish.
Blue marlin can travel long distances and may have established, but as yet, unde- fined, seasonal migratory patterns, which can include trans-oceanic and trans- equatorial crossings. While tag recoveries are low, results indicate that most fish are recaptured within a short time period, close to their release location. There have been some notable exceptions where fish have traveled up to 3000 nm. The longest time at liberty has been 1503 days. It is reported that some of the smaller males may tend to form schools of about 10 individuals, whereas larger females are more solitary.
Acoustic tagging studies suggest that blue marlin primarily inhabit the surf a c e mixed layer i.e. from the surface down to the thermocline. Blue marlin appear to exhibit diurnal movements with fish tending to be closer to the surface at
102 night and deeper during the day. This may be because they pursue prey that exhibits a similar diurnal vertical movement pattern.
It is thought that this species can live to 30 years or more. Sexual dimorphic growth (changes in growth rate between sexes) appears to begin at around 140cm LJFL (Lower Jaw Fork Length). Female growth rate remains fairly constant to around 360 cm, male growth appears to plateau at around 230 cm. The maximum length of a female blue marlin is around 450 cm (LJFL). One of the largest recorded blue marlins was 906 kg, while the world game-fish record for this species is 624 kg.
Spawning is believed to occur year-round in equatorial waters (10°S–20°N) and during summer periods in the southern (10°S–30°S) and northern (20°N–30°N) hemispheres respectively. Peak concentrations of spawning fish probably occur around Micronesia and French Polynesia. Females are thought to spawn a num- ber of times during the spawning season. Preliminary estimates of total reproduc- tive output range from 31.5 million to 98.9 million eggs for females weighing 127 kg to 420 kg, respectively. Females are first able to reproduce at around 80 kg and males at around 31 kg. Blue marlin larvae occur over a broad area in the western half of the north Pacific. No larvae have been found in the eastern Pacific.
Striped Marlin ( Tetrapturus audax ) Striped marlin commonly occur in subtropical and temperate waters and are con- sidered a true oceanic species as they tend to occur away from land masses unless there is adjacent deep water. Abundance of striped marlin increases with distance from the continental shelf. They are perhaps the shallowest swimming of all mar- lins. Striped marlin can be identified by their thinner body shape (slab sided) and tall dorsal fin (height approximates body depth).
Commercial fishing vessels take striped marlins mostly by surface fishing long- lines, mainly as bycatch, but occasionally are targeted. Striped marlin is consid- ered one of the best eating billfish species and is used for sashimi and sushi.
Striped marlin are caught throughout the Pacific in a horseshoe-shaped distribu- tion pattern with high catch rates in the NW and central northern Pacific and in the SW Pacific off Australia as well as in the east central Pacific. Generally, distri- bution corresponds to the 20° and 28°C isotherms.
It is thought that there are three separate stocks within the Pacific: northwest, southeast and southwest. Juvenile fish occur in the same open water habitat as adults but are relatively rare in the SW Pacific.
Striped marlin make long-distance migrations between spawning and feeding areas. Spawning areas appear to be in the NW and, to a lesser extent, the SW Pacific. Tagging studies show that while some striped marlin make long distance movements, most are recaptured in the same area they were tagged. There appears to be no interchange between the SW and NE Pacific.
103 Observations of the vertical movement of striped marlin, determined by using ultrasonic telemetry on adult striped marlin off Hawai’i, show that fish spend a significant amount of time in the upper 10 m of the water column and about 40% of their time in depths between 51 and 90 m. This depth preference is probably governed by the temperature at different depths, with the fish preferring to remain in the mixed layer above the thermocline. The fish spend most of their time (~80%) in water temperatures between 25 and 27°C. They never venture into waters below 18°C.
There appears to be little sexual dimorphism: males and females grow to at least 350 cm (total length) and 200 kg in weight. The all-tackle game-fish record is 224 kg. Size at first maturity is generally 27–40 kg (140–160 cm eye–fork length). Studies suggest that fish ranging from 18–62 kg are potentially 3–6 years old; fish around 188 kg (414 lbs) are around 9 years old, but this has not been verified.
Distribution of eggs is unknown, though larvae have been reported between 10–30°N and 10–30°S. Spawning is seasonal and confined to the early summer months in both hemispheres. Size at maturity is generally 27–40 kg (140–160 cm, eye–fork length). Onset of sexual maturity in males has not been determined because the changes in testes with maturity are slight. It appears that each female fish spawns only once per season. It is thought that larvae may undertake diurnal vertical migrations in the top 50 m of the water column.
Adult marlin feed on a variety of pelagic species and are carni v o r ous, non-selective feeders. Most active feeding probably takes place in the morning when they feed on epipelagic organisms (those close to the surface) and less on meso-pelagic (mid water). Common foods are squid, mackerels and tunas, gemfish and flute mouth.
Black marlin ( Makaira indica ) Black marlin are one species of billfish that can be caught close to land. They are commonly caught (recreationally) in the open ocean along current lines and conti- nental shelf drop-offs as well as along shores where warm currents are running. Black marlin can be identified by their short, slightly rounded dorsal fin, their 2nd dorsal being slightly in front of their 2nd anal fin, and rigid pectoral fins that can’t be folded along the body.
Black marlin are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans within preferred sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 20–30°C.
It is thought that there is only one stock in the Pacific, with tag recaptures sug- gesting a high degree of mixing. Potentially, some fish may move between the SW Pacific and the Indian Ocean (one tag return). There are seasonal spawning con- centrations in the NW Coral Sea, the eastern Banda Sea and the East China Sea.
Tag recoveries vary from one day and zero miles to 1910 days. Recapture distances of up to 4635 miles in 273 days have been rec o r ded. There are strong indications
104 that the distribution and movements of male and female black marlin may diffe r . Little is known about the vertical movement of black marlin, though a study off Cairns showed that black marlin were mostly caught on longline hooks set <80 m deep during the day.
The maximum re c o rded total length for black marlin is 448 cm and the maximum-recorded weight is 708 kg. Black marlin show strong sexual dimor- phism with males rarely exceeding 200 kg. Juvenile growth rates are fast and appear to be the same for both sexes. The growth of males appears to slow at maturity while that of females continues; females reach around 450 kg after about 10 years. Life expectancy is considered to be around 20 years (possibly longer).
While the age at maturity remains uncertain it appears that males mature a round 3–4 years (40–60 kg), while females mature around 4–5 years (70–100 kg), with ovaries exceeding 1.0 kg considered to be mature. The gonads of a female black marlin in spawning condition may weigh as much as 30 kg and re p resent 5% of whole body weight. A fully developed egg is appro x i m a t e l y 1mm in diameter. Small female fish are common in the nearshore light-tackle f i s h e ry.
Fecundity (number of eggs) is high and ranges from 100–200 million. It is not known whether all eggs are released simultaneously or in batches two or three times during the spawning season.
Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares ) Yellowfin tuna are one of the main target species for both commercial and recre- ational fishermen in the Pacific. Commercially they are caught mainly by purse seine and longline. These are two distinct fisheries with the purse seiners target- ing the smaller surface fish (mainly for canning) while the longliners target the larger deeper swimming adults for the sashimi market. Recreational fishers also target yellowfin tuna, usually by trolling baits or lures, though they are occasional- ly caught from shore.
The distribution of adult yellowfin ranges from about 40°N–35°S in the western Pacific and 35°N–33°S in the eastern Pacific. Yellowfin larger than 100 cm are often found in warm surface waters of the tropical Pacific, as well as in cooler, subsurface waters. Several key physiological attributes allow yellowfin to inhabit a variety of habitats. As they grow, yellowfin develop a swim bladder and large pec- toral fins. These provide additional lift that allows the fish to maintain hydrostatic equilibrium at a lower swimming speed than species such as skipjack. This in turn facilitates a lower metabolic rate and lower oxygen demand, thus yellowfin can inhabit less oxygenated waters.
Floating debris and FADs attract yellowfin and other species. Evidence suggests that juvenile yellowfin inhabit shallow waters at night and deeper waters in the daytime. Yellowfin tend to move away from the FAD at night and return to the same FAD the next morning, where they spend the day.
105 Yellowfin tuna spawn throughout the tropical and equatorial Pacific. They spawn all year in equatorial waters but are limited to the summer months in the higher latitudes as water temperatures need to be between 25 to 26°C. They are very productive and can reach sexual maturity at around 25 kg or two years of age.
They are serial spawners and can release millions of eggs per batch during their extended spawning period. Data indicate that yellowfin tuna spawn every 1–2 days during the afternoon and night, though it is not known whether individual yellowfin keep spawning throughout the season.
Tagging data in the western Pacific shows extensive movement between 120°E and 170°W, with some fish moving more than 1000 km over a 12 month period. Tagging data in the eastern Pacific shows large-scale movement along the coast of Baja California and Central America. The longest movement recorded was more than 6000 km from Fiji to the eastern tropical Pacific. It is thought that fish tend to move in an east-west or longitudinal direction rather than north-south. The influence of major current systems, sea surface temperatures and fishing effort may explain this predominant east-west movement.
It is thought that there are two distinct stocks of yellowfin tuna in the Pacific, an eastern stock and a western-central Pacific stock.
Yellowfin tuna attain weights of over 170 kg with the all-tackle record currently set at 176.35 kg. Age and growth studies indicate that yellowfin reach around eight years of age and exhibit sexually dimorphic growth, with males attaining greater lengths than females of the same age. It is thought that yellowfin tuna attain weights of 2, 13, 38 and 88 kilograms from one to four years of age.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri ) Wahoo are an epipelagic (surface to 200m) species occurring widely in the tropi- cal and subtropical Pacific Ocean between 40°N and 40°S. They attain at least 210 cm fork length (83 kg) with the current IGFA all-tackle record standing at 71.89 kg. Larger individuals are frequently solitary, but may also be found in small, loose aggregations.
Few commercial fisheries target wahoo, but it is a valuable component of longline catches and is a sought-after gamefish species.
In subtropical areas, peak abundance seems to mostly occur during the winter months. As with other oceanic scombrids, wahoo are often found in association with current lines, near seamounts and around floating objects and debris.
As top-level predators, wahoo, which lack gillrakers associated with the ingestion of smaller prey, take a range of open-water prey including other scombrids (skip- jack, frigate tuna), scads, flying fish, squid and occasionally, fishes of the mixed scattering layer (e.g. lantern fish).
106 Wahoo exhibit rapid growth rates and possibly commence spawning at the end of the first year of life. Spawning occurs year-round in the tropics and during the summer months in higher (subtropical) latitudes. Wahoo are probably multiple spawners, with spawning occurring over a protracted period when favourable con- ditions (temperature, food) are encountered. Wahoo larvae are planktonic, and have been found year-round in the Central Pacific, and during the summer months at higher latitudes.
Size at first maturity probably occurs at around 10 kg. Fecundity is high, with a 14 kg fish releasing around 6 million eggs per spawning. Males appear to predomi- nate at sizes greater than 140 cm.
Little information is available on wahoo movement, although their seasonal changes in availability and the latitudinal variation in average size suggest that at least seasonal movements may be routinely undertaken. These are likely to be related to current movements, temperature shifts, or even water masses. Limited tag and release of wahoo has been done by gamefishing organisations, but few recaptures have been recorded. Wahoo are adapted for swimming in high-speed bursts and are amongst the fastest fishes known. A burst speed of 77 km/hr has been recorded for an 8 kg fish.
No information is available on wahoo stock structure, but their large size, oceanic habitat, wide distribution, and potentially high mobility suggest that they may constitute a Pacific-wide stock.
107 108 Billfish Guide
Why are billfish important? Billfish are an important component of the catch of longline vessels and often can constitute up to 30% of the total catch (especially broadbill swordfish). The main species caught, after broadbill sword- fish, is the blue marlin followed by the striped marlin and black marlin. Total tonnages caught by longliners are shown below (estimated longline catches 1999 for the Western and Central Pacific Ocean).
Blue marlin Black marlin Striped marlin Swordfish Total 10,285 1037 4237 16,658 32,217
Billfish are also important components for both artisanal and recreational fishing. They provide a food source for many Pacific What is a billfish? countries and are a major tourism attraction where gamefishing is practised. It is estimat- There are numerous species of billfish inhabiting ed that around 5% of the Pacific catch of the world’s oceans. These are large oceanic fishes, billfish is by recreational anglers. This recre- all of which are found throughout the tropical and ational component of the catch can provide subtropical Pacific Ocean. Billfish are divided into significant income to many areas. Billfish two families. The broadbill swordfish is a family on its own (Xiphiidae) while the other family are also an important component of the (Istiophoridae) contains all other billfish species marine ecosystem and are ‘top predators’. including marlins, sailfish and spearfish.
The distribution of billfish varies between species Current research – including tagging with striped marlin and broadbill swordfish prefer - Billfish are difficult to study due to their ring colder waters while black marlin and blue mar - solitary nature and large size. They cannot lin are found more in tropical waters. The distribu - readily be kept in aquariums or studied tion of the main billfish species is shown in the underwater. As a consequence most of our accompanying maps. Our knowledge of the distri - knowledge of these fish come from observa- bution of these species is only made possible by tions from commercial vessels where signifi- commercial and recreational fishermen recording cant numbers of these fish are caught. their catch information in logbooks.
Current research includes: looking at what the fish are eating (this gives us more knowledge of the interaction these fish have with other species); reproductive studies where we are investigating where these fish reproduce, how often and how many young they may have; and ageing studies where scientists look at the spines and otoliths (ear bones) of the fish to try and determine the age of the fish, how old they are when they reproduce and how old they are when they die. There is also a number of tagging studies being carried out to look at the move- ment of these fish across the ocean. There are two main types of tags being used; 1/ conventional tags that provide information on horizontal movement and growth
109 and 2/ electronic tags that can show vertical and horizontal movement of the fish and provide information on the water temperatures that the fish prefer. These tags can even provide information on when the fish feed!
Billfish identification Most billfish are fairly easy to identify, the hardest ones are the marlin species. The main features used to identify these fish are: height of dorsal fin; position of 2nd dorsal fin and whether the pectoral fin can be folded along the body of the fish. Please note the main features on the diagrams below.
Black marlin Blue marlin Striped marlin Broadbill swordfish
2nd dorsal fin in front 2nd dorsal fin behind 2nd dorsal fin behind Only one keel on tail. of 2nd anal fin. Two 2nd anal fin. Two keels 2nd anal fin. Two keels keels on tail. on tail. on tail
First dorsal fin – some- First dorsal fin – First dorsal fin – highest First dorsal fin – tall what rounded tip, Intermediate height – of marlins – approx. (more than body about 1/2 of body around 2/3 of body equal to or just less depth). depth (shortest of the depth. than body depth. marlins).
Pelvic fins short <15% Pelvic fins moderately Pelvic fins long – No pelvic fins. of lower jaw–fork long – 16–23% of lower 15–27% of lower length. jaw–fork length. jaw–fork length.
Pectoral fins cannot be Pectoral fins can be Pectoral fins can be Pectoral fins a little rigid folded along body. folded along body. folded along body. and situated low on body sides Body shape - Oval in Body shape - Oval in Body shape – slab sided Body shape – rounded cross-section. Flesh cross section. Flesh in cross section. Flesh and solid in cross sec- colour pinkish colour pinkish colour usually a distinct tion. white/grey. white/grey. orange (like smoked salmon). What you can do! Tags Fishermen can assist in researching It is vitally important that any tags these important fish by accurately found on fish are either sent to the recording the cor rect identification address printed on the tag or to of these billfish and their length the Secretariat of the Pacific and/or weight onto vessel Community who will provide a logsheets. reward.
In f o r mation is provided here to assist with the cor rect identification of these fish.
For more information on billfish, or the work of the Oceanic Fisheries Programme contact: Oceanic Fisheries Programme Secretariat of the Pacific Community BP D5 98848, Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia www.spc.int
110 First dorsal fin
Vertical bars Secon dorsal fin Caudal fin Body depth Bill
Caudal keels
Lower jaw Second anal fin Pectoral fin Anus
Pelvic fin First anal fin
Ete – Caudal fork Lower jaw caudal fork
Striped marlin Very high dorsal fin.Equal to or greater than body depth
Long, narrow lower jaw
Black marlin 2nd dorsal fin in front of Low, rounded dorsal fin 2nd anal fin
Rigid, curved pectoral fin
111 Blue marlin
Dorsal fin 2/3 body depth
Short lower jaw
Sailfish
Very long pelvic fins
Broadbill swordfish
Single keel No pelvic fins
112