SPC ACTIVITIES FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT SECTION Technical assistance provided to the National Fisheries College in Kavieng, PNG Fisheries Development Officer, ping students with the skills One IFGT course was pro- William Sokimi, continued his required to command a 40-m grammed for delivery in Port work with the National Fish- fishing vessel in PNG waters. Moresby while another was eries College (NFC) and the conducted in Kavieng. Asian Development Bank (ADB) Because this was the first CFO 3 loan-funded Community Fish- course to be implemented, only The IFGT courses assisted recip- eries Management and Develop- seven students were enrolled in ients in acquiring the necessary ment Project (CFMDP). At NFC, order to enable the four teach- fishing skills to set up a viable William worked on implement- ing staff to improve delivery of and sustainable fishing opera- ing a Certificate in Fishing Oper- the course modules, and to bet- tion immediately after receiving ations 3 (CFO 3) course, and ter organise the overall struc- their fishing assets from the assisted with several other pro- ture for future courses. An oral RCFDP project. This loan grammes scheduled to be imple- examination carried out at the scheme was meant to help loan mented with the CFO 3 course. end of the course by an inde- recipients while they famil- These included two European pendent consultant examiner, iarised themselves with han- Union Integrated Fishing Group Mr Simon Reid, revealed that dling their new vessels and Training (EU-IFGT) courses and students did not have the acquired new fishing skills. The an EU-Masterfisherman’s course. required skills to be skippers of college’s Small Fishing Opera- Baiting assignments, using 40-m vessels. Six of the students tions (SFO) course was tailored "bouke-ami" and "basnig" type were issued attendance certifi- to meet the EU requirements methods, were also undertaken cates and were advised to whereby loan recipients carried as part of the NFC fishing meth- repeat the CFO 3 course the fol- out actual fishing trips as part of ods enhancement exercise for lowing year to obtain the their familiarisation training community development. Work Certificate of Competency level and had an extra week fishing with the CFMDP involved rig- required. (The seventh student so that at the end of the course ging and deploying five shallow- was expelled from the course.) they had the capital to continue water fish aggregating devices with their fishing business. (FADs). A moderation exercise for all CFO courses was carried out The IFGT courses emphasised: Certificate in Fishing during the last phases of the Operations (CFO) 3 course CFO 3 course by Mr Grant 1) safe boat operations using Carnie of the Australian Fish- safe operations plans; William’s work at NFC mainly eries Academy. Mr Carnie iden- focussed on implementing the tified several deficiencies in the 2) safety and gears checklists; CFO 3 course to ensure it was three CFO courses. These main- appropriately conducted and ly concerned the elimination of 3) on-board hygiene and prop- that assessments and standards slight inconsistencies in course er handling of catch; were maintained at the level preparation, authentication of required for national develop- sea-time, selection of appropri- 4) basic post harvest knowledge; ment. The CFO 3 course trains ately qualified candidates, qualified skippers for the fish- record keeping, delivery strate- 5) operations, maintenance and ing industry, keeping them gies and incompatible assess- trouble shooting propulsion abreast of industrial develop- ment methods. systems for outboard engines ment manning requirements as or small diesel engines; approved by the PNG Depart- European Union (EU) – ment of Transport Maritime sec- Integrated Fishing Group 6) keeping log records of catches tion in compliance with the Training (IFGT) courses and fishing areas; and International Maritime Organi- zation (IMO) Standards of The CFO section at NFC was 7) basic small fishing business Training, Certification and tasked with running the IFGT management principles. Watchkeeping (STCW) 1978 courses requested by the EU – convention. The course is the Rural Coastal Fisheries Devel- William monitored the delivery college’s most advanced stage opment Project (RCFDP). These of this course by the NFC tutors, of the vessel operators pro- courses were run around the plus assisted with fishing trials gramme, and focuses on equip- same time as the CFO 3 course. of new lift nets described below. 2 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 SPC ACTIVITIES EU-Masterfisherman course Kanawi, NFC’s Masterfisherman; CFMDP FAD moorings. The Mr Kaius Mai, NFC’s Fisheries coastal communities where the The groups of fishermen who Technician; and Mr Malakai FADs were deployed were were the initial loan recipients of Komai, NFC’s Fisheries Technical advised that they could do the EU-RCFDP were selected as Assistant. without these accessories if they prime candidates for the first could not afford them, or if the EU-Masterfisherman course, The concept behind the con- accessories were not available, since they had improved their struction of these FADs was to but that the accessories extend- fishing operations and devel- make it as simple and affordable ed the lifespan of the FADs in oped their own fishing experi- as possible so that coastal com- the water. ences using the vessels and fish- munities could maintain and rig ing gears issued under the loan FADs of their own. The FADs A sea bottom survey was con- scheme. The EU-RCFDP man- were constructed from locally ducted at each FAD site to agement team considered it to grown bamboo stems cut to determine the depth and slope be a strategic move to train this four-metre lengths and bound of the bottom. In all FAD sites, pool of fishermen to a "Master- with tarred 6 mm Kurolon rope. villagers were shown how to fisherman" level, because the Each FAD consisted of four bam- use a simple sounding line and fishermen would then be able to boo stems. Tires — which are a hand-held GPS to carry out assist and oversee the perform- durable and can sustain rough the surveys. A 200 m x 80 kg test ance of all new and recurrent EU weather conditions — were used monofilament line was marked loan recipients. These master- to bind the raft (Fig. 1) and as every 10 m and wound onto a fishermen would provide assis- strongpoints for connecting the hand-reel with three, 60-g oval tance and oversight in sustain- mooring section. Three of the lead sinkers attached to the able and viable fishing opera- raft’s mooring connectors were loose end of the line. tions with concentrated effort on wheelbarrow tires, and two were productivity through the larger car tires. Bamboos of suffi- The five FAD deployment sites enhancement of fishing skills. cient age were chosen for the rafts, were Lavongai and Tioputuk in The course also trained fisher- and were slowly cured over an the New Hanover group of men in carrying out leadership open fire to make them stronger Islands; Nanovaul and Ngoto roles so that they could coordi- and to rid them of insects. (Kunevulit) in the Tigak group; nate the efforts of other EU- and Panachais on the West coast RCFDP fishermen in the devel- Although the FAD designs were of New Ireland. The FAD at opment of rural commercial meant to be as inexpensive as Lavongai was moored in 120 m fishing operations. With these possible, the FAD deployment depth, at Tioputuk in 122 m, at trained leaders in place it is team decided to include chain Nanovaul in 22 m, at Ngoto hoped that safe, sustainable, and other accessories such as (Kunevulit) in 85 m, and at consistent and profitable fishing swivels and shackles in the Panachais in 121 m. operations can be further devel- oped in the rural commercial fish- eries sectors. Again, William’s role was to monitor the delivery of this course and provide assis- tance when needed. Inshore (shallow-water) FAD rigging and deployment The inshore FAD project was a follow up to CFMDP strategies for promoting sustainable fish- ing practises in rural communi- ties, where pressure on reef fish stocks can be relieved by encouraging villagers to fish for pelagic fish species near inshore FADs. This work was carried out over three weeks and involved the assistance of Mr Peter Watt, Community Management Adviser for the CFMDP; Mr Samol Figure 1: Using bamboo and a tire to rig a FAD raft SPC Fisheries Newsletter #115 – October/December 2005 3 SPC ACTIVITIES Polypropylene rope was used to moor the FADs at Lavongai, Kunevulit (Ngoto) and Panachais, while at Tioputuk and Nanovaul 3 mm monofilament mainline was used. Engine blocks, cater- pillar tracks and heavy scrap engine parts weighing between 80 and 120 kg were used for the FAD anchors (Fig. 2). Two weeks after the FADs were deployed at Lavongai and Tioputuk, reports started com- ing in that baitfish were aggre- gating around the FADs and that pelagic fish (e.g. skipjack tuna, frigate mackerel, yel- lowfin tuna, bigeye scads, sail- fish, marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi) were already being caught in the vicinity. Later, villagers from Panachais met with William and the college Master- fisherman to request assistance with fishing methods that are effective around FADs since baitfish and pelagic fish species were already aggregating around the FAD deployed off their vil- lage. The FAD at Ngoto (Kunevulit) was visited by William, the col- lege CFO tutors and the course participants, a month after deployment. It was reported that a large school of fish was circling the general area of the FAD, and that baitfish were also seen in the area. Unfortunately, most of the rope that bound the FAD had been removed and the bamboos were held together mainly with the wheelbarrow tire (Figs.