SOUTE ?ACITI:C IS1...I>..:'1JJS - ~Q:]K LOBSTER ElESO"JRGES R~Wo ~orge ~Iarine Biology (Rock Lo-ester) Co::isul ta:c.-t Food. and. .:.~.1.g:ric~a.1turs O;:ga.nizo.:t;ic:: of ~;~e U:iiteC.. }Ta--tio:::.s Ro:ne, "'i9?2 - i - FI:RAS/69/102/9 Tll.BLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Terms of Reference 2. FIJI 2.1 Synopsis of Activities 2.2 C~neral Topography and Climate 2 2.3 Coastal Features and Zones 2 2.4 Findings 2 Rock Lobster 2 Fishery Development 3 2.5 Recommendations 3 2.6 Other Observations and Activities 4 3. WESTERN SAMOA 7 3.1 Synopsis of Activities 7 3.2 General Topography and Climate 8 3.3 Coastal Features and Zones 8 3.4 Findings 8 3.4.1 Rock Lobster 8 3.4.2 Fishery Development 8 3.5 Recommendations 9 3.6 Other Observations and Activities 9 4. AMERICAN SAMOA 9 4.1 Synopsis of Activities 9 4. 2 General Topography and Climate 9 4.3 Coastal Features and Zones 10 4.4 Findings 10 Rock Lobster Fishery Development 4.5 Recommendations 10 4.6 Other Observations 11 5. KINGDOM OF TONGA 5.1 Synopsis of Activities 5.2 General Topography and Climate 11 5.3 Coastal Features and Zones 11 5 o4 Findings 12 Rock Lobster 12 Fishery Development 13 5.5 Recommendations 13 506 Other Observations and Activities 14 - ii - FI:RA.S/69/102/9 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) ~ 6. TERRITORY OF PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA 14 6. ·i Synopsis of Activities 14 6.2 General Topography and Climate 15 6.3 Coastal Features and Zones 15 6.4 Findings 15 6.4.1 Rock Lobster 15 6.4.2 Fishery Development 16 6.4.3 Research 17 6.5 Recommendations 17 7. UNITED STATES TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS 18 7.1 General Topography and Climate 18 7.2 Coastal Features and Zones 18 7.3 Findings 19 7.3.1 Rock Lobster 19 7.3.2 Fishery Development 19 7.4 Recommendations 19 8. BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS PROTECTORATE 20 8.1 Synopsis of Activities 20 8.2 General Geography and Climate 20 8.3 Coastal Features and Zones 20 8.4 Findings 21 8.4.1 Rock Lobster 21 8.4.2 Fishing Development 22 8.5 Recommendations 22 8.6 Other Observations and Activities 23 9. CONDOMINIUM OF NEW HEBRIDES 24 9 .. 1 Synopsis of Activities 24 9.2 General Topography and Climate 24 9.3 Coastal Features and Zones 24 9.4 Findings 25 9.4.1 Rock Lobster 25 9.4,,2 Fishery Development 26 9.5 Recommendations 26 9.6 Other Observations and Activities 27 iii FI:Rll.S/69/102/9 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Contnd) 10. FRENCH POL~SIA 27 10.1 Synopsis of Activities 27 10.2 General Topography and Climate 27 10.3 Coastal Feata..~s a.:nd Zones 28 10.4 Findings 28 10o4o1 Rock Lobster 28 10.4.2 Fishery Development 29 10o5 Recommendations 29 10.6 Other Observ"ations and Activities 30 11 • THE COOK ISIJlJlll)S 30 11 .1 Synopsis of Activities 30 11.2 General Topograpr,y and Climate 30 11 .3 Coastal Fea-G\ll"es and Zones 30 11.4 Findings y 11w4o1 Rock Lobster 31 1 i o4c2 Fisherjr De-'lfelopment 3~ 11.5 Recommendations 31 11 .6 Other ObseT\rations and Activities 32 1 2. NEW CALED011TIA 32 12.1 S:ynopsis of Ac,;civities 32 12.2 Ger£:ral Topography &"'ld Cli.mate 32 12.3 Coastal Features a...~d Zones 33 12.4 Findings 33 12.4.1 Rock Lobster 33 12.4.2 Fishery Development 33 12.5 Recommendations 34 13. DISCUSSION A11'D CONCLUSIONS 34 14. CONSOLIDATED RECOMME.NDATIOl'l"S 36 14.1 For Local Gover-mnent Authorities 36 14.2 For International Aid Organizations 37 Appendix 1 • PERSONS rn 1.l.'.i~ili:VIEW'ED 38 Appendix 2. ROCK LOBSTER RECORD SlilEET 40 Appendix 3. NOTES FOR USE WIT"'.d ROCK LOBSTER RECORD SI'1EET 41 Appendix 4o P~P~>JCES L12 - 1 - FI:RAS/69/102/9 1 e INTRODUCTION The GoverlCli!lents of the South Pacific Islands (Australia., France~ Hew Zea.land, United Kingdom, United States of America and Western Samoa.), assisted by the United Nations Developnent Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations~ are engaged in a project whose ma.in purpose was to assist in the establishment and operation of a. South Pacific Islands Fisheries Development Agency to determille feasibility areas of fishery developnent in the region and to assist in formulation and implementation of specific action programmes in the various island territoriese The project became operational on 22 July 1970 and as pa.rt of the project operation, FAO assigned a Marille Biologist (Cray­ fish) Consultant, with the following terms of reference: "To prepare a review of the existing fisheries for rock or spi.ny lobster (crayfish) in selected territories of the south and southwest Pacific, including identification of the species concerned and compilation of available knowledge of the behaviour of ari.d methods of fishing for these organisms; to indicate areas where further stu~ and research is desirable and to prepare programmes for such investigation and prelimina;ry proposals for the ratioD&l management of the available stocks~" - - The following report is based on interviews with fishermen, private industry and Governnent officers, supplemented by visits to actual or potential rock lobster areas and an assessment of habitat by diving and by aerial su.rvey. In 1969, the South Pacific Commission (SPC) and South Pacific Islands Fisheries Develop­ ment Agency (SPIFDA) circulated a Spi.ny Lobster Resource SW!"Vey questiom:uaire to assist in the assessment of the identity a.nd the abundance of rock lobster in ea.eh Territory. Additional observations relative to other fisher.r developments in the Pacific have also been included in this report"' In accordance with 11pecific requests for surveys by Territories, the total survey was divided into four tours and each tour carried out by the Consultant commenced a.nd terminated at No'Wl!ea, he~erl'!i of the SPIFDA. The programme was a..-ranged as follows: Tour 1 - Fiji9 Western Samoa9 American Samoa and Tonga Tour 2 - New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Hebrides TolU' 3 - French Polynesia and the Cook Islands Tour 4 - New Caledonia. In addition, arrangements were made for Mr., Craig McDonald, a Peace Corps Volunteer~ studying rock lobsters in the United States Trust Territory, to report to the consultent in New Guinea.. 2. FIJI 2.1 SYNOPSIS OF ACTIVITIES The Consultant landed at lifa.di 9 visited suva.9 La.utoka, Western Ya.saws., Lau Group Ongea., Fu.langa. Islands) and carried out a.n aerial survey of Viti Levu and Ya.saw. Group a.s well as visiting the major islets to east of Viti Levu0 FI:RAS/69/102/9 2 T".::':'::>Z":O are two major islands, Vi~::. ::.Cvu, 10 471 l:m ::..::=.:.. 7aJ".!!:U2, Le"'JU, 5 535 k1:i be";·,~:::.:~.: which is 2!J'.'. extensive deep sedimenta:::r 3':ea. known as :a1;,g01 ·i~ter. Situa~ed a.round the:;;:e are several eall on.ea (~,,g. Eads.vu 407 m·, '::::.~uni 435 km , Lomaivitu 409 and mru:iy small islands soixe a!:! distan~ a.s over 300 e.g. those in the La:1~ Grro1:.;;: southeast of Suva (57 islands totalling km ). The two main islands and those m.aller :islands in th9 ill!eediate vicinity :::eceive miuch rain - over 5 080 mm in the central and southern pa..""tsG Only about : 800 - 2 500 ::mi fall i::z, the northern and western parts (including the Ya.sawa. Group). '!'he further offshore islands of the Lau Group also experience low rainfall, and droughts are not uncOll!llllon at Komo~ Ongea and the Fulanga Islands. Most of the islands a.re of volcanic formation and consis·~ of very high peaks, the highest being Mt. Victoria ( 1 323 Cloud haJ:lgs almost permanently over these regions and rainfall is reg..tlar, resulting in many rivers draii::ting off to the coast :forming river deltas of an estuarine nature which are subject to the rise and fall of tide - about 1.5 m (1.8 m during the spring season)o The non-volcanic atolls and calcareous islands are 18ainly in the Lau Group which a...""'El US'.:tally low, about 79 m11 and receive li'o;'r,le rainw villages often suffer ';;,"ater shortages in these area.so 2o3 COASTAL FEATURES lUID ZONES The high rainfall, volcanic islands have ma:ng::roves at the water's e~., Due to fresh­ w"ater run off and silt content in these areas 11 coral growth is limited and there are lagoons inside the hard coralline barrier reefs some dista:.n.ce offshore o The low rainfall atolls, c~s and limestone islands have coral growth 11112ch closer to -!;he island. There is generally a coral reef platform close to the shore and a coralline algae hard outer reef on the side exposed to the major swell (generally southerly (SE.))o Where seepage through the limestone is regula.r11 e"g" off Fulanga beach.1 shallow sea grass beds a.re maintained behind the barrier reef., In other places seepage near river mouths (eogo Komo) forms beach rook by oementation of beach sandsc · Reports 11 discussions and personal obse:rration support the contention that in Fiji four species of Panulirus are present. Po renioilla:tus., These were caught mainly on the south east sides of islands on the exposed coralline algal reef e~§' living &"'!longst the surf a.lld in the surge chaJmels.