Management of BdM fisheries in Melanesian countries A scoping study supported by ACIAR, managed by SPC, and conducted by Nautilus Consultants

Team Leader and lead author Crick Carleton   Co-authors John Hambrey Hugh Govan Paul Medley in-country correspondents PNG, SOL, VAN, FIJ, TON

Scoping study requirements Headline figures Best estimate - sustainable production, export value and income for rural communities – from well-managed fishery Supply chain management Suggested fiscal and economic measures to improve management, improve benefits, and promote cost recovery Improved management plans Outline opportunities for improved management framework Regional initiatives Examine opportunities for regional cooperation to improve sector performance

provincial or regional boundaries

TON SOL VAN FIJ PNG

Suggested precautionary TACs at national level average over last 15 years as proportion of 15 yr average precautionary overall TAC t/yr % PNG 455 85% 387 Solomon Islands 165 140 Vanuatu 18 15 Fiji 275 75% 206 Tonga 55 150% 83

Recommendations 1 Recommendation 1 – agree at regional level on common data standards (Customs and Fisheries Depts) – covering exports and purchases. Recommendation 2 – agree common standard for publication of detailed annual performance reviews of sector – per country – providing an evidence basis for policy and management Recommendation 3 – set Province based quotas, by species or per value group, to be monitored and controlled by direct inspection at the point of export Recommendation 4 – to manage Province-based quotas, all data should reference back to Province of origin Recommendation 5 – management at the local level should combine minimum size limits with locally determined “move-on” rules triggered by falls in the size frequency distribution of landings.

Recommendations 2 Recommendation 6 – to give further force to the “move-on” rule in free-diving fisheries, limit fishing activity to one or more short fishing seasons – the shorter the better. Recommendation 7 – focus management on the 4 to 8 species in each Province that contribute over three quarters of production value – and at a minimum white teatfish and lolly fish. Recommendation 8 – develop and communicate simple guides to improved processing, and to encourage communities to invest in communal batch processing of product (possibly helped by limiting fishing to short concentrated seasons). Recommendation 9 – tighten eligibility criteria for the issuing of export and process licenses to ensure that licensees work for the industry and not vice versa, share information between MSG member countries on license holders, and any infringements of license conditions, and substantially increase the scale of license fees. Recommendation 10 – there may in time be opportunity to auction export quotas between licensed exporters at a national level as a means of increasing the level of recovery of the costs of monitoring and surveillance in this industry.