A Review of Aquaculture Activities in the Pacific Islands Region," by R.R
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PIDP Pacific Islands Development Program A REVIEW OF AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES IN TSB PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION: GENERAL OVERVIEW BY POLITICAL ENTITY aEast-Weal Center • 1777 East-Wcst Road • Burns Flail. Room 4028 • Honolulu. Hawaii 96848 A REVIEW OF AQUACULTUHE ACTIVITIES IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION: GENERAL OVERVIEW BY POLITICAL ENTITY K. Roger Uwate with Peniasi Kunatuba, Baraniko Raobati, and Charles Tenakanai Pacific Islands Development Program East -West Center Honolulu, Hawaii May 1984 Table of Contents Page No. Preface .................................................. iii AMERICANSAMOA .......................................... 1 COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ............. 2 COOKISLANDS ............................................. 2 FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA. ........................... 3 Ponape .............................................. 4 Truk .......... ...................................... 4 Yap ................. 4 4 Kosrae .............................................. 4 FIJI ..................................................... 5 FRENCHPOLYNESIA ......................................... 7 GUAM ..................................................... 9 KIRIBATI .... ............................. 11 REPUBLIC OFTHEMARSHALLISLANDSr . ......................... 12 NAURU .................................................... 12 NEWCALEDONIA ............................................ 12 NIUE ..................................................... 14 REPUBLICOF PALAU ........................................ 14 PAPUA NEW GUINEA ......................................... 15 SOLOMONISLANDS .......................................... 17 TOKELAU .................................................. 18 KINGDOMOF TONGA ........................................ 18 TUVALU .................. ................................ 20 REPUBLICOF VANUATU ..................................... 20 WALLISAND FUTUNA ........................................ 21 WESTERNSAMOA ............................................ 22 Pacific Islands Development Program East-West Center Preface The Pacific Islands Conference of 1980 established as its Secretariat, the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) of the East-West Center. It also mandated PIDP to examine specific research topics, including aquaculture development in the Pacific Islands. As a first step in the PIDP Aquaculture Project, country profiles were assembled that reviewed and documented aquaculture activities in each political entity in the Pacific Islands region. Drafts were completed by mid-1983 and sent to respective agencies in the region for review, comment, and update. Based on feedback from the region, draft reviews (for each political entity) were updated into final form in early 1984. The review consolidated the available information on aquaculture activities in the Pacific Islands region. The information, although not definitive, provided; an overview of the aquaculture activities in the Pacific Islands region, insight into the problems of and potential for culturing specific species, and . documentation for these activities. It was hoped that the information in the review would provide a benchmark of aquaculture activities in the region to date. Knowledge of activities, whether ongoing or terminated, could provide the foundation for effective decision making on aquaculture development in the region. With this foundation, it was hoped that the success rate of aquaculture development projects in the Pacific Islands region could be improved. This might be achieved by initiating only proposals that: (1) fully addressed past problem areas and (2) were realistically feasible in the economical, social, and biological sense. This is in concurrence with Recommendation 8 from the South Pacific Commission's Eighth Regional Technical Meeting on Fisheries (1975). It recommended that detailed economic surveys be completed prior to initiating any commercial-scale aquaculture project. This document is an extract of "A review of aquaculture activities in the Pacific Islands region," by R.R. Dwate, P. Kunatuba, B. Raobati, and C. Tenakanai. It is the summary and is found in the review under Chapter 1, C "General overview by political entity." 0 iii Pacific Islands Development Program East-West Center GENERAL OVERVIEW BY POLITICAL ENTITY AMERICAN SAMOA Aquaculture was not a traditional activity in American Samoa. The first major aquaculture activity was in 1971 when the South Pacific Islands Fisheries Development Agency (SPIFDA) sent two aquaculture consultants, J. Glude and D.K. Villaluz, to analyze and assist in aquaculture development. Villaluz provided recommendations on finfish culture, while Glude examined mollusc culture possibilities. In 1977, another evaluation of aquaculture potential in American Samoa was done, this time by R. Shleser and R. May. They concluded that there was no opportunity for aquaculture to become a significant export industry. However, small-scale aquaculture might be possible at the village level. The only major aquaculture project in American Samoa was the molly baitfish project. A baitfish project was proposed by SPIFDA in 1971. SPIFDA did not follow up on its proposal. In 1972, however, the Department of Marine Resources initiated a baitfish project, and the molly was selected as the species to be cultured. Mollies were initially cultured at Coconut Point, but because of inadequate space the project was moved to Taputimu Agriculture Station. Production achieved was 5,000 fry/day. In 1976, the project was again moved, this time to Tafuna Airport, so that production for use in fishing trials could be further increased. The Pacific Tuna Development Foundation funded the project's expansion and later the pole-and-line fishing trials. A production target of six million mollies was set but proved to be overoptimistic. Between 2.0 and 2.5 million mollies were cultured, and 1.3 million were provided for fishing trials. Production problems were numerous and production costs were high (US$26.45/kg) since the project's objective was to produce mollies, not to be economically efficient. In 1979, the project was moved back to Coconut Point because large numbers of herons were • attracted to the cultured mollies at the airport site, creating a potentially hazardous condition. Commercial production was never attained. During the molly culture project, some polyculture trials were done with rabbitfish and penaeid shrimp. 1 Pacific Islands Development Program East-West Center The culture of local oyster was recommended by J. Glude (SPIFDA) in the early 1970s. Trial culture was initiated at the airport ponds. Tilapia was introduced to enhance inland fisheries between 1950 and 1960. It was stocked in the Anuu Island swamp and at the Taputimu Agriculture Station. Tilapia at the station was later eradicated to make room for the molly project. Tilapia was not a premium product in markets in American Samoa. Many other species such as abalone, algae, catfish, clam, crab, eel, lobster, pearl, and prawn were suggested and/or discussed for possible culture, but no substantive follow-up activities could be identified. COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS No reports were identified to document traditional aquaculture activities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In 1981, a farm site evaluation was completed by the Mayo Associates, a private consultant firm. In 1983, aquaculture, marketing, and research priorities were researched by the West Coast Aquaculture Foundation. Many constraints to aquaculture development were identified. As a result, development emphasis was on the harvest of wild stocks. Although tilapia was introduced, it was neither cultured nor harvested. COOK ISLANDS There was no traditional fish culture in Rarotonga. However, in Patanga and Tepuka, milkfish fry were stocked each year and harvested for consumption during feasts. Fish supplies were generally poor. Because of this and the high cost of marine fisheries development, the introduction of aquaculture was considered one possibility for the fairly rapid improvement of diet. • In 1971, J. Glude and D.K. Villaluz (SPIFDA) investigated the possibilities for aquaculture development. Because of reduced lagoon fish populations caused by increased fishing pressure, Villaluz recommended artificial restocking of the surrounding waters with cultured mullet fingerling and cage culture of scad (ature). Carp and 2 Pacific Islands Development Program East-West Center freshwater prawn polyculture with taro crops was also suggested by Villaluz. Glude suggested the introduction and test planting of edible oyster species because native species were not suitable. In 1971, the Oceanic Institute of Hawaii submitted a proposal to the Government of the Cook Islands to develop a Total Atoll Production System (TAPS), which was to give a better life to the Cook Islands people. The culture of mullet, oyster, prawn, and ature (scad) was part of this project. The project was initiated, but by 1975, the lack of success in the aquaculture project (TAPS) made the Cook Islands sensitive to any further experimental projects. A turtle farming project was initiated by the South Pacific Commission (SPC) in the Cook Islands and Fiji in 1974. The Cook Islands project, sited at Aitutaki, achieved high hatching success of green turtle eggs. However, it had feed problems since this turtle was carnivorous at year one. Fish for feed was scarce. After year one, the turtle became herbivorous. In addition, low temperatures