Fisheries Education and RAINING

SPC Fisheries Education and Training Information Bulletin #23 - March 2006 1

T RAININGFisheries Education and

Number 23 — March 2006

Editor : Michel Blanc, Fi sher ies Tra ining Adviser , Tra ining Sect ion, SPC, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia( P h o n e : + 6 8 7 2 6 2 0 0 0 ; F a x : + 6 8 7 2 6 3 8 1 8 ; E m a i l : M i c h e l B l @ s p c . i n t ) . W e b s i t e : h t t p : / / w w w . s p c . i n t /Product ion: F i sher ies Tra ining Sect ion, SPC. Printed with f inancia l ass i s tance from the Government of France and Austra l ia .

Contents

M a r i n e R e s o u r c e s D i v i s i o n – T r a i n i n g S e c t i o n

I N F O R M A T I O N B U L L E T I N

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Secretariat of the Pacific Community

ISSN 1025 - 7438

FEATURES

- “Start Your Fishing Business” training in the SolomonIslands and Vanuatu – an update p. 2

- Seafood company managers upgrade skills p. 3

AROUND THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION

CENTRES

- First Prize to Vanuatu Maritime College! p.5- Northern Marianas College touts seaweed p. 6- A new Certificate in Maritime Studies (Cadet) at

Nelson p.6- Seafood industry training pathways soon to be

available p.7

SPC FISHERIES TRAINING ACTIVITIES

- SPC short training videos on DVD p.8- The second SPC/Nelson Fisheries Officers Train-

ing Course p.9- Shark ID cards now available p.9- Fisheries Training Section – In Brief p.10- The Foolish Fisherman – a comic book to raise sea

safety awareness p.11

NEWS FROM USP

- Seafood processing workshop p.12

The focus of this 23rd issue of our informationbulletin is enterprise management training, withreports on two recent initiatives coordinated by theSPC Fisheries Training Section.

The first initiative consists of exporting the innova-tive “Start Your Fishing Business” (SYFB) programmefrom Papua New Guinea to other Pacific Islandcountries. After the establishment of a network ofcertified trainers in Vanuatu and Solomon Islandslast year, SPC and the Commonwealth Secretariatwill be looking at introducing the SYFB programmeto other countries in 2006. Training in the manage-ment of larger seafood enterprises took place atNelson, New Zealand in October 2005. You willlearn more about this popular programme (this wasthe fourth course of its type) thanks to the reportfrom the New Zealand School of Fisheries.

Of potential interest to fisheries training providers inthe region is an update on the resource materialsrecently produced at SPC.

I wish you well in your 2006 training activities andlook forward to your contributions for the nextbulletin.

Michel Blanc

SPC Fisheries Education and Training Information Bulletin #23 - March 20062

FEATURES

“Start Your Fishing Business” training in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu – an update

As part of an ongoing collaboration between severalnational and regional institutions — the Secretariat ofthe Pacific Community (SPC), the Small BusinessDevelopment Centre (SBDC) and the National Fish-eries Authority (NFA) of Papua New Guinea, and theCommonwealth Secretariat — a training programmeon how to “Start Your Fishing Business” has beenintroduced in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. TheStart Your Fishing Business (SYFB) course and mate-rials, based on the International Labour Organization(ILO) “Start Your Business” model, were tailor-madeto suit the specific needs of the PNG artisanal fisheriessector and have been successfully delivered in PNGsince 2003. Acknowledging the success of this innova-tive programme, SPC and the Commonwealth Secre-tariat decided in 2004 to facilitate the introduction ofSYFB training in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands,two countries with socioeconomic and cultural situa-tions similar to those of PNG.

With funding support from the Commonwealth Fundfor Technical Co-operation (CFTC), SPC conducteda training needs analysis (TNA) in Vanuatu and theSolomon Islands in August 2004. The TNA identifieda need in both countries for training fishing commu-nities in small fishing business planning and manage-ment. It also reported on the commitment of localinstitutions and government to sustain training in thisarea once initial funding support from aid donorsterminated. The TNA concluded that a combinedtraining of trainers (TOT) course would be the bestoption for establishing a network of competent SYFBtrainers in both countries.

The initial phase of the project took place in June 2005at Santo, Vanuatu, where a TOT course was run bySBDC Master Trainers (13–29 June). Eleven futuretrainers from Vanuatu (Department of Cooperatives,Fisheries Division, Vanuatu Maritime College and the

Vanuatu Women Development Scheme –VANWOD–Microfinance) as well as four participants from theSolomon Islands (Fisheries Division and the SmallEnterprise and Business Centre) completed the courseand received their certificate of attendance. In order tobecome accredited by ILO as SYFB trainers, eachapprentice-trainer was required to deliver one SYFBcourse to their target audience, under the supervisionof Master Trainers (phase 2 of the project). Onceaccredited, the trainers are available to run additionalSYFB courses on their own (phase 3).

As part of the TOT course in June 2005, participantsfrom both countries produced an action plan for thesubsequent phases of the project. From mid-August toOctober 2005, the 11 participants to the initial TOTcourse successfully ran their trial courses in Honiara(Solomon Islands), Efate, Malakula and Santo (Van-uatu). This made possible their accreditation as ILO/SYFB trainers by their supervisors, the Master Trainersfrom SBDC. In 2006, the third phase of the projectwill consist of a series of SYFB courses in most provinc-es of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Participantswill include fishermen and prospective operators ofsmall fishing businesses.

Relevant institutions in both countries are fully sup-portive of the present initiative and had agreed tosupport an ongoing SYFB training programme pastSPC/CFTC’s financial and logistical assistance, whichended in October 2005. While future SYFB training inboth countries requires a financial commitment fromlocal institutions, it is envisaged that SPC and SBDCwill continue to monitor the delivery of subsequentSYFB training, acting as facilitators and quality con-trollers in the process. SPC, the CommonwealthSecretariat, and their counterpart institutions in PNGare now keen to further export the SYFB trainingconcept to other Pacific Island countries. A similar


Seafood company managers upgrade skills

In October 2005, 14 participants from 11 Pacific Islandcountries traveled to Nelson, New Zealand to begin thefourth regional course for managers of medium-to-largesize fisheries enterprises. Since these short courses beganin 1997, over 100 seafood company managers, fishingskippers and marine engineers have benefited from theavailable expertise in the fishing port of Nelson. Withfunding from the New Zealand Government, the courseis jointly run by the SPC Fisheries Training Section andthe New Zealand School of Fisheries, with a majorcontribution from the School of Business at the NelsonMarlborough Institute of Technology.

The course commenced with a trip to Motueka wherethe group was greeted with a traditional Maori wel-come at Te Awhina marae. Following this warm wel-come, participants continued to the processing plant atTalley’s Fisheries, where an in-depth tour was given ofthe site’s operations. Because it was the first day of thescallop season, “the openers “ (staff whose job it is topry open scallop shells) were a big attraction, but therewas also the coated product line to view, hoki and sharkwere being filleted and inshore species were beingpacked for chilled transport to both domestic andexport markets. After visiting an ice cream manufac-turing plant, 14 rather chilly managers headed back toNelson where the day concluded with a social hour andwelcoming BBQ.

The pattern for the remainder of the course was similarto that of previous courses. In the morning sessions, theBusiness School developed a theme of enhancing man-agement skills and developing strategies designed toimprove the commercial viability of seafood business-es. In the afternoon sessions, the School of Fisheriesinvited local industry leaders and experts, representinga range of topics and themes, to share their experienceswith the participants.

Highlights for those attending the course included thechance to learn more about New Zealand’s QuotaManagement System and the importance of the valueof “downstream processing”, or adding value andutilizing byproducts. As in previous courses, TimMasters at MacCure Seafoods guided the group aroundhis factory and explained the processes as an illustra-tion to the presentation on HACCP given earlier byCushla Hogarth of Seafood Solutions Ltd. This plantrepresents an excellent example because it is simple inprocessing terms yet produces a range of well presented“ready to eat” products using strict quality standardsbacked up with comprehensive staff training.

Beverly Levi, a participant from Samoa, was intriguedto see the numbers of women in New Zealand thatwere employed at sea. It is not usual to see women at seaon New Zealand factory vessels where they will oftenhold senior roles, either as factory managers, shiftsupervisors or QCs. Beverly got a taste of a sea-goingcareer on the Saturday when the group embarked onthe Marie Antoinette for half a day’s scalloping inTasman Bay. The group came returned with enoughscallops to feed the entire gathering at the excellentfunction put on in honour of the group by the localPacific Island community.

Ian Lister and his team form the School of Businesscovered a range of topics during the course, includingstrategic planning, human resource issues, staff per-formance management, accounting for non-account-ants, budget planning and project management. Top-ics were discussed with special reference to the partic-ipants’ unique situations. In the second week of thecourse, more speakers from industry shared their expe-riences. Mike Wells and Tad Krogulec talked aboutpost-harvest handling of long-line caught tuna, DarrenGuard (president of the Port Nelson Fishermen’s

gradual training methodology will be used and, forcost-effectiveness, a sub-regional approach will be tak-en. Provided funding is available early in 2006, aTraining Needs Analysis will be undertaken aroundApril in several countries, prior to the training ofpotential SYFDB trainers before the end of 2006.

SPC and the Commonwealth Secretariat acknowledgeand thank the contribution of NFA and the PNG

SBDC in the development of networks of SYFB train-ers in the Pacific region. Both organizations are alsograteful to the individuals and the local institutionsthat are supporting and making possible the delivery ofSYFB training in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

SPC Fisheries Education and Training Information Bulletin #23 - March 20064Association) talked about fuel prices and ways toreduce vessel running costs, and Fred Te Miha de-scribed the workings of the fisheries allocation processand how that was impacting on Maori-owned fishingbusinesses. Louisa Sifakula from the Pacific IslandTrade and Investment Commission explained how thecommission could assist companies in finding anddeveloping new markets for their products. On thefinal day, Charles Hufflet of Solander Fisheries (whohad just returned from a southern bluefin tuna meet-ing in Taipei), gave the group a few lessons on how notto run a fishing business. He also pointed out some ofthe perils of joint ventures and the need to have top ratenegotiators on your side when determining how catch-es should be allocated among nations.

It is a tradition that when a visit from a group of PacificIslanders coincides with a sporting event organized bythe Students’ Association, the group enters whatever itis (and usually wins!). This time was no exception. TheFisheries Enterprise Managers cleaned up the opposi-tion and took away the title of Champion Tug of Warteam to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Battle ofTrafalgar. We won’t go into detail about who won theactual battle, other than to say that a chap with one eyeand a funny hat presented our group with their medals!

By Friday, 21 October, some of the participants beganto depart, having first made their presentation to therest of the group. For some of those who remained,there was one last invitation to accept. Fred Te Mihainvited the group to the opening of the whare kai atWhakatu marae early on Saturday morning. So, at anearly (and rather chilly) hour, a group representing Fijiand PNG gathered at the marae and were welcomed onby Dr John Mitchell, Ngati Tama elder and ex-Wait-angi Fisheries Commissioner. The group was asked topresent a musical performance and obliged, ably led bySunia Logo. Following this, the group was summonedinto the new dining room and treated to a feast oftraditional food. Afterwards, it was time to leave, butnot before meeting and talking to Maori Queen, TeAtairangikaahu. This event was a fitting way to end acourse that had seen people representing differentcultures come together to discuss challenges in com-mon, to share new ideas, and to make new friendships.The consensus seemed to be: “Let’s do it again soon”.

(Contribution from Alec Woods, SPC course coordi-nator, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology)


AROUND THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTRES

Vanuatu Maritime College (VMC) is known for its highstandards, but the prize it won on 30 July 2005 was forsomething quite unusual in the college’s history.

July 30 was a special date for Vanuatu – the 25thanniversary or Silver Jubilee of the nation’s independ-ence. Included in the week-long Silver Jubilee cele-brations in Luganville, Santo were displays and com-petitions of many different kinds: culture, sports,music, dancing …

A major feature of the displays and parade on 30 Julywas a float competition. VMC entered the good ship L/V Jubilee, registered in Luganville and captained byNare Wolu (better known as VMC’s Fishing Instruc-

tor). Crewed by VMC staff disguised as a ship’s cook,a hospitality student, an engineer, a firefighter and anaccident survivor wearing a full immersion suit, Jubileehighlighted VMC’s task of training seafarers and fish-ers and emphasised safety at sea. Belching smoke fromher exhaust and towing a life raft with a large poulet fishdangling from a reel, she was a big hit – especially withsmall boys!

On 31 July, the announcer asked the crowd, “Whoshould win the float competition?”

“Maritime! Maritime!” they shouted, and VMC’s new-est and youngest staff member, Isabelle Noel, proudlywent on stage to receive the first prize.

First Prize to Vanuatu Maritime College!


A new Certificate in Maritime Studies (Cadet) at Nelson

Beginning in February 2006, the Certificate in MaritimeStudies (Cadet) 12-week programme is an entry-levelintroduction to a wide range of commercial maritimecareers, including maritime transport and tourism, theleisure yacht industry, aquaculture and fishing.

The emphasis will be on establishing a good under-standing of watch-keeping and the systems, drills andskills commonly used on board a vessel. The pro-gramme will include STCW 95 Basic Training and NZCoastguard short courses, and will be based on unitstandards where possible.

Entry requirements

Applicants will:

• have had a minimum of three years’ secondary-school education and be able to demonstrate alikelihood of success on the course;

• be assessed by interview and the submission oftwo referee reports; and

• need to possess good communication and nu-meracy skills and an appropriate level of phys-ical fitness.

Course content

• Week 1: STCW95 basic training, includingsurvival, workplace first aid, fire-fighting andpersonal safety and social responsibility (7 days)

• Week 2: Control recreational craft by day insight of land

• Week 3: Restricted Radio Telephone Opera-tors Certificate (2 days) and practical boathandling

Northern Marianas College touts seaweedBy Marconi Calindas

The Northern Marianas College (NMC) says it hopesto see the development of a seaweed industry in theCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands afterthe success of its Aquaculture Development Program,which is being done through its Cooperative ResearchExtension and Education Service division.

NMC president Tony V. Deleon Guerrero said thecollege is keen on developing a seaweed industry in theislands since it could be a potential economic contrib-utor to the Commonwealth. He said seaweed is one ofthe favourite dishes and ingredients of the local com-munity and could also appeal to the palate of tourists.He said he would discuss this “economic possibility”with his staff and community members “to help theeconomy of the CNMI”.

Guerrero said that the Aquaculture Development Pro-gram, in collaboration with its partners, has beensuccessful throughout the year, holding presentations,conferences, television segments, newspaper ads, arti-cles and a series of workshops.

He said shrimp and prawn production workshops wereheld on Saipan, Tinian and Rota the past year. Over 30

individuals attended these workshops, which taughtparticipants how to grow marine shrimp above ground.The workshops on Recirculating Aquaculture Systemsencouraged farmers to invest their resources in thislucrative industry.

The programme has already reached more than 10,700individuals in the community through different avenues.

The college’s annual report describes the AquacultureDevelopment Program as one of the more accom-plished programmes offered through its AgriculturalResearch and Extension office. The programmes in-clude Plant Protection, Crop Improvement, LivestockImprovement, and Soil Water Management.

Other programs are Nutrition, Diet Health, 40HDevelopment Community Resource Development,Family Development, Food Safety and Quality, Sew-ing, Money Management, Expanded Food and Nutri-tion, and Food Stamp Nutrition Education.

Reprinted from Saipan Tribune, 14 September 2005Copyright © Saipan Tribune


Seafood industry training pathways soon to be available

A number of new qualifications that will support oneof the Nelson Marlborough region’s major primaryindustries will soon be on offer, following a cashinjection by the New Zealand government.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)has been awarded $550,000 through the tertiary sec-tor’s Innovation and Development Fund to create newseafood training and education courses. The grant willcover the cost of developing a curriculum, courses andqualifications required to meet industry needs. Qual-ifications will range from certificate to degree, withpotential pathways to university postgraduate degrees,and cover disciplines in Vessel Operations, SeafoodTechnology, Aquaculture, Marine-based Tourism andLeisure, and Boat Building.

The Nelson Marlborough Seafood Cluster initiated thisproposal, and a complementary proposal, to enhancepostgraduate research in seafood in conjunction withCanterbury and Otago universities. NMIT chief execu-tive Dr Neil Barns said that at present, a large number ofeducation and training courses relevant to the seafoodindustry are only available off-shore – despite NewZealand’s reputation as a world leader in fisheries man-agement and seafood industry development.

“Leaders, managers and potential leaders in the indus-try need to be trained in an integrated and formalmanner, both ‘on the job’ and in conventional learningestablishments,” Dr Barns said. “There is a significantthreat to the long-term viability of the industry, as

there is no relevant tertiary education infrastruc-ture to support further education. Consequently,by developing a seafood curriculum that estab-lishes career pathways, postgraduate links andentry, we are ensuring a more productive andprosperous future for the industry.”

Established in 2003, the purpose of the $40 millionInnovation and Development Fund is to encourageinnovation that will enhance the performance of NewZealand’s tertiary education system. The Tertiary Ed-ucation Commission (TEC) administers the fund onthe government’s behalf.

“Initiatives such as developing this curriculum areexactly what this fund was set up to encourage,” saidTEC chief executive Janice Shiner. “Innovation is keyto creating a high-performing tertiary education sectorwe can all be proud of.”

The project is one of 14 around New Zealand that werechosen for funding in 2005. Other projects beingnegotiated include new centres for eco-forestation,plastics and polymer development, data visualisationand wood products.

“These projects are exciting and cutting-edge, andare from a range of education providers nation-wide,” Ms Shiner said. “I am confident all theseinitiatives will add immense value to our tertiaryeducation sector, and will benefit learners and thecountry as a whole.”

• Weeks 4, 5, 6 and 7: Watch-keeping and nav-igation – seamanship and deck skills (includesan understanding of radar and GPS)

• Week 8: Outboard engine maintenance andtroubleshooting and small boat handling

• Week 9: Marine inboard maintenance and trou-bleshooting

• Week 10: Seafood handling, personal hygieneand sanitation OR Customer service skills

• Week 11: Legislation and compliance, includ-ing pollution and environment, safe ship man-

agement, occupational safety and health ORPacific Island option

• Week 12: Legislation, compliance and safe shipmanagement (continued) and preparation forwork – CVs, interview techniques, letters ofapplication/introduction OR Pacific Island op-tion

For more details, please contact Julie Cohen (+64 3546 2477) or Alec Woods (+64 3 546 9175 ext. 847)at the New Zealand School of Fisheries.


SPC FISHERIES TRAINING ACTIVITIES

SPC short training videos on DVD

The 13 fisheries training videos and one USP trainingvideo have been grouped by topic on five separateDVDs.

DVD N°1 – Fishing operationsN° 1 – An Icy Tale: Chilling Fish on BoardN° 2 – Trolling with Natural BaitN° 3 – Bottom Fishing with HydraulicsN° 4 – On-board Handling of Sashimi-grade Tuna

DVD N°2 – Seafood processingN° 1 – A Chilling Story: Handling Fish in the Process-ing PlantN° 2 – Tuna Loining: Workshop at Celtrock Holdings

DVD N°3 – Seafood businessN° 1 – Air Freighting Chilled FishN° 2 – A Visit to the Fish MarketN° 3 – Once Upon a Fish StallN° 4 – Fishy Business

DVD N°4 – Sea safetyN° 1 – Better Safe than SorryN° 2 – Survival at Sea: A Kiribati TaleN° 3 – Rambo Goes Deep Sea

DVD N°5 – Seaweed farmingN° 1 – Grow Seaweed, Grow Your Own Money (SPC)N° 2 – Seaweed Farming in Pacific Island Countries(USP)

The new DVDs, as well as the videos (in either PAL,NTSC or SECAM systems), are available from the :

Fisheries Training SectionSPC, PO Box D598848 NoumeaNew Caledonia

The successful series of SPC short training videos onfisheries topics are now available on DVD. Trainingvideos are a popular and effective medium for training,but their use is restricted to places that have electricityand a video player. In response to requests from various

users in the region, the videos have been dubbed ontoDVD. This means they can now be played on a laptopduring field trips. They are suitable for distribution toschools, NGOs and fisheriesextension staff.


The second SPC/Nelson Fisheries Officers training course

The newly reformed SPC/Nelson Fisheries OfficersTraining Course started on Monday, 30 January at theNew Zealand School of Fisheries. This year’s coursewas attended by 10 participants from Kiribati, Nauru,Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu.

The trainees initially studied at Nelson (for 17 weeks)then traveled to New Caledonia for a one-week expo-sure to SPC’s fisheries programmes, before flying toSanto, Vanuatu, for four weeks of practical fishingexperience and sea safety training.

For the first time since 1996 (in Abaiang, Kiribati), thecourse’s practical fishing component was not be heldin New Caledonia; nevertheless, the quality of staffand training facilities at the Vanuatu Maritime Col-

lege, as well as the richness of local fishing groundsmade Santo a great venue for this event. Using the threeVMC training vessels Emm Nao, Etelis and Evolan, theSPC trainees practiced horizontal and vertical tunalonglining, deep-bottom fishing, trolling, and baitfishing while fishing operations will be eased by a soon-to-be deployed FAD.

As part of the new course, trainees will also be requiredto process catches to export standards and marketingtrials will take place. Those readers with a good memoryand who are concerned trainees, will recall that the thenVanuatu Fisheries Training Centre previously hostedthe SPC/Nelson course’s practical fishing module in1992 and 1993. Let’s hope that the 2006 catches will beas memorable as those back then!

Well known FV Etelis will once againplay a key training role on the SPC/

Nelson course

Training vessel Emm Nao will be used todemonstrate small-scale fishing

operations

Shark ID cards now avalaible in French

The shark identification cards are now available inFrench. Initially produced in English, this pocket-size,water-proof booklet results from a joint effort betweenSPC’s Oceanic Fisheries Programme (Fisheries Mon-itoring Section) and SPC’s Coastal Fisheries Programme(Fisheries Training Section). It is hoped that using thei.d. cards will improve catch data and statistics onsharks that interact with longline and purse-seinefisheries in the western and central Pacific.

With a better understanding of shark stocks, regionalfisheries managers can ensure that sharks remain fishedin a sustainable manner. The most likely users of the


• The Fisheries Training Section has organ-ised and co-funded the training attach-ment of a first mate from the NationalFisheries Development Limited (SolomonIslands) to a Class 3 Master course at thePNG Maritime College in Madang. The42-week course started on 30 January 2006.It is hoped that trainee, Junior Delaiverata,will obtain his ticket after completing thecourse. The Class3 Master ticket representsan additional step towards Junior’s ulti-mate goal of becoming the first SolomonIsland skipper of a tuna purse-seiner. Jun-ior is well known to section staff as he waspart of the first SPC Traineeship Pro-gramme held at the Australian FisheriesAcademy in 2000. We wish him well dur-ing this course!

• The production of sea safety awareness-raising materials in Pacific Island languagesis progressing well. After Kiribati, Niue,Tokelau and Papua New Guinea in 2003–2004, the Fisheries Division in Apia re-quested last year the printing of SPC safety

Fisheries Training Section – In Brief

posters in the Samoan language. Productionof this Samoan version took place in No-vember and by the end of the year, 250copies of the four posters had been shippedto Apia. Samoa Fisheries staff will use theposters to raise sea safety awareness amongstfishing communities in Upolu and Savaii.Countries not yet covered under this ongo-ing project may contact the Fisheries Train-ing Section if they want the sea safety mate-rials translated in their vernacular language.

• The second issue of the section’s informa-tion bulletin on sea safety was published inOctober 2005. This time, the bulletin fea-tured safety management systems (SMS)and safe operational plans (SOP) as a newway of looking at vessel and crew safetywhile the technology feature in this bulletinfocuses on the safety ”grab bag”, a simplebut necessary piece of safety gear that is easyto store and could well save lives. Pleasecontact section staff if you have not receivedyour sea safety bulletin.

cards will be fisheries observers, fishing masters, andcrew on board longline and purse-seine vessels operat-ing in the western and central Pacific. Fisheries train-ing institutions and fishing communities are otherpotential users as these identification cards comple-ment previously published training and awareness-raising materials on the bycatch issue (turtle ID cardsand releasing guidelines, pamphlets, poster, manual onprotected marine species). For further information,contact Fisheries Training Section staff [email protected])


THE FOOLISH FISHERMAN – a comic book to raise sea safety awareness

As part of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB)Coastal Fisheries Management and DevelopmentProject in Papua New Guinea, a comic book aimed atraising awareness of small boat safety has been pro-duced in both English and Tok Pisin. The FisheriesTraining Section made a financial contribution to thedevelopment of this important publication, to ensurethat it is disseminated to target groups in SPC’s othermember countries and territories.

Two thousand English language copies and 2000 TokPisin copies of the comic have been printed anddistributed within Papua New Guinea by the ADBproject. SPC is further assisting by printing an addi-tional 2000 copies and distributing them throughout

the Pacific Islands region. Reaching community mem-bers in remote areas of the Pacific is often a challenge,but it is hoped that The Foolish Fisherman will beeffective in communicating with its intended readers,which include small boat operators and schoolchil-dren. The French version of the comic book will beavailable in February or March 2006.

If you wish to receive copies of the comic book, pleasecontact the Fisheries Training Section or ask yourcountry’s fisheries administration. If you wish to learnmore about the fisheries information materials theADB project is producing, contact the CFMDP officein Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guineaat +675 984 2266.


PIMRIS is a joint project of four international organisationsconcerned with fisheries and marine resource development inthe Pacific Islands region. The project is executed by theSecretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the SouthPacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the University of theSouth Pacific's Pacific Information Centre (USP-PIC), andthe South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC).This bulletin is produced by SPC as part of its commitmentto PIMRIS. The aim of PIMRIS is to improve the availability

of information on marine resources to users in the region, so asto support their rational development and management. PIM-RIS activities include: collection, cataloguing and archiving oftechnical documents, especially ephemera (“grey literature”);evaluation, repackaging and dissemination of information;provision of literature searches, question-and-answer servicesand bibliographic support; and assistance with the develop-ment of in-country reference collections and databases onmarine resources.

Pacific Islands MarineResources Information System

The workshop included a practicalcomponent on product development

Six participants attended the workshop.

per in sweet and sour sauce, bula smoked wahoo,Pacific smoked tuna, citrus smoked tuna, wantoksmoked red snapper, honey cured smoked parrotfish,katsuobushi soup with wakame (seaweed) and smokedwahoo spread. All products were taste tested using the“Hedonic Scale” method by a 20-member panel (com-prising USP, Fiji Fisheries Division and JICA repre-sentatives) at the closing of the workshop. The resultsof the taste test indicated that 95% of the taste panelistsliked all the products.

At the end of the workshop, participants were givencertificates of attendance for two weeks of full-timetraining. The certificates were handed to the partici-pants by the resident representative of JICA during theclosing ceremony.

Participants felt that more such workshops should beconducted in the future. They also felt that this type ofworkshop is long overdue for Pacific Island countries,especially, when one is involved in the actual develop-ment of a product.

(Contributor: Gabriel Victor Titili)

Seafood processing workshop

NEWS FROM USP

A seafood processing workshop was held at the MarineStudies Programme at the University of the SouthPacific, Suva Fiji, from 14–24 June 2005. The work-shop was made possible with the joint support andcollaboration between the Japan International Coop-eration Agency (JICA), Secretary of the Pacific Com-munity (SPC) and the Marine Studies Programme(Postharvest Fisheries Section) of the University of theSouth Pacific (USP).

Six participants attended the workshop: one fromCentral Pacific Producer Limited (CPPL) of Tarawa,Kiribati; four from the Fisheries Department of Fiji;and one from the Marine Studies Programme (MSP).

The workshop was conducted by Takuya Shiotsiku(Katsuobushi Expert) of Japan and Gabriel VictorTitili who is Postharvest Fisheries Lecturer at MSP.The workshop ran for two weeks and included boththeory and practical components. Product developedduring the workshop included: sweet smoked chubmackerel (Salala), bula smoked wahoo in sweet andsour sauce, sweet chub mackerel in sweet and soursauce, steamed wahoo pate, wantok smoked red snap-

Fisheries Education and RAINING

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