ISSN 1818-5614 Niue sustainable coastal fisheries pilot project: Marine baseline survey By Dave Fisk IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 39 Global United Nations Pacific Regional Environment Development Environment Facility Programme Programme SPREP IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication data Fisk, Dave Niue sustainable coastal fisheries pilot project : Marine baseline survey / by Dave Fisk. – Apia, Samoa : SPREP. 2007. vi, 78 p. ; 29 cm (IWP-Pacific Technical report, ISSN 1818 – 5614 ; no.39). ISBN: 978-982-04-0362-8 1. Coastal fisheries – Sustainability – Niue. 2.Coastal fisheries – Management – Niue. 3. Resource allocation – Management – Planning – Niue. I. International Waters Project (IWP). II. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). III. Title. IV. Series This report (originally written in 2004) was produced by SPREP’s International Waters Project, which is implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the International Waters of the Pacific Small Island Developing States, with funding from the Global Environment Facility. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the publisher. Cover design by SPREP's Publication Unit Editing and layout: Mark Smaalders, IWP editorial consultant SPREP PO Box 240, Apia Samoa E: [email protected] T: +685 21 929 F: +685 20 231 Website: www.sprep.org © Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 2007 All rights for commercial/for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPREP authorises the partial reproduction of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPREP and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPREP artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. ii Contents Abbreviations............................................................................................................................. v Executive summary ................................................................................................................... 1 Cyclone damage ...................................................................................................................... 3 Management options ............................................................................................................... 4 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 6 1 Background............................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Objective and aims of the baseline assessment phase...................................................... 8 2 Approaches and methods....................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Rationale............................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Approach ........................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Manta tow method........................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Timed surveys ................................................................................................................. 11 2.5 Belt transects ................................................................................................................... 11 2.6 Analysis........................................................................................................................... 13 3 Results.................................................................................................................................... 14 3.1. Reef slope assessments................................................................................................... 14 3.1.1 Habitat characteristics .............................................................................................. 14 3.1.2 Biotic features .......................................................................................................... 14 3.1.3 Disturbance and health indices................................................................................. 18 3.2. Selected reef slope site surveys...................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Site descriptions ....................................................................................................... 21 3.2.2 Coral communities and species................................................................................ 25 3.2.3 Macro algae.............................................................................................................. 26 3.3 Belt transects ................................................................................................................... 26 3.3.1 Impact of Cyclone Heta on selected macro invertebrates........................................ 27 3.3.2 Other macro invertebrates........................................................................................ 30 3.3.3 Distribution patterns of macro invertebrates in reef flat pilot sites.......................... 30 4 Discussion.............................................................................................................................. 45 4.1 Status and health of coastal resources ............................................................................. 45 4.1.1 Reef structure ........................................................................................................... 45 4.1.2 Corals and coral communities.................................................................................. 45 4.1.3 Macro invertebrates: molluscs ................................................................................. 46 4.1.4 Macro invertebrates: holothurians............................................................................ 49 4.1.5 Algae (macro, turf, blue-green)................................................................................ 50 4.1.6 Fish........................................................................................................................... 50 4.1.7 Health and disturbance indicators ............................................................................ 51 4.2. Capacity building for volunteers and national staff ....................................................... 53 5 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 54 5.1 Natural disturbances........................................................................................................54 Recommendation 1 ........................................................................................................... 55 5.2 Refuge areas .................................................................................................................... 55 Recommendation 2 ........................................................................................................... 56 5.3 Regional isolation............................................................................................................ 56 Recommendation 3 ........................................................................................................... 57 Recommendation 4 ........................................................................................................... 57 5.4 Harvest pressure .............................................................................................................. 57 Recommendation 5 ........................................................................................................... 57 iii Recommendation 6 ........................................................................................................... 57 5.5 Indicator species.............................................................................................................. 57 5.5.1 Reef flat indicators................................................................................................... 57 5.5.2 Slope indicators........................................................................................................ 58 Recommendation 7 ........................................................................................................... 59 6 References ............................................................................................................................. 60 6.1 References referred to in the text .................................................................................... 60 6.2 References used to identify organisms referred to in the text ......................................... 61 Appendix 1. Manta tow data .................................................................................................. 62 Appendix 2. Manta tows: position and direction.................................................................. 65 Appendix 3. Coral genera and species recorded .................................................................. 69 Appendix 4. Macro invertebrate