Deepwater snapperTowards improved stock assessments
and management
Outline
• Background• Work plan• Progress to date• Considerations
Background
• Deepwater snapper are an important fisheries resource in many PICTs
• Declines in catches in some PICTs have raised concerns about sustainability
• Quantitative assessments are limited by lack of adequate biological and fisheries data
Background
• At previous 3 HoF meetings, SPC members requested assistance with deepwater snapper management
• At 2011 HoF meeting, members endorsed SPC efforts to seek funding to support deepwater snapper project
• SPC obtained funding from:– AusAID (2012-2015) - Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, and the
Marshall Islands – French Pacific Fund (2011-2013) - New Caledonia – French Development Agency (2012-2013) - New Caledonia
Deepwater snapper workshop
• Deepwater snapper workshop held at SPC in July 2011• Identify priority information and training needs
• Participants from 12 PICTs • The agreed outcomes from the workshop included a work plan for
SPC’s deepwater snapper activities
Work Plan
There are 4 priority work areas:
1. Fisheries data collection2. Improving biological knowledge3. Fisheries assessment and management4. Capacity development
Fisheries Data Collection
Aim is to develop a standardised approach to fisheries data collection across the Pacific region – many advantages:
1. Facilitates the development and maintenance of a common database system, which minimises development and maintenance costs;
2. Provides consistency in how and what data are collected and how they are analysed; and
3. Facilitates comparisons of fisheries among countries
Fisheries Data Collection
Activities
• Support development of fisheries monitoring programs in-country (e.g. logsheets and port sampling)
• Utilise existing logsheets where feasible, to maintain familiarity in data reporting
• Otherwise utilise existing artisanal data forms• Modify existing artisanal fisheries database (TUF-ART)
to accommodate deepwater snapper fisheries data
Improving Biological Knowledge
• A large number of species are captured in deepwater fisheries• Generally assumed that most species are long-lived, slow
growing and late to mature• Limited biological information available; longevity, growth and
maturity is unknown for many species
Improving Biological Knowledge
Activities
1. Fisheries independent surveys2. Fisheries dependent collections (e.g. port sampling)
• Estimate longevity, growth rates, maturity schedules and spawning seasons for key species
• Examine genetic stock structure to identify management units
Fisheries assessment and management
• A lack of data has prevented traditional stock assessments for deepwater snapper
• A long time series of precise catch and effort data is required
• The cost of such data collection would most likely exceed the value of deepwater fisheries in most PICTs.
• Is it appropriate to allocate significant resources to support stock assessments for deepwater snapper?
Fisheries assessment and management
• Depletion experiments used to estimate Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) in 80/90’s
• MSY may not be most suitable reference point for deepwater snapper, because:
1. Estimates of MSY are usually very uncertain
2. MSY assumes that the environment does not vary
3. Fishing at MSY levels may produce undesirable effects for deepwater snapper fisheries– e.g. while catches at MSY may be sustainable, catch rates may decline
to levels that are not economically viable
Fisheries assessment and management
• Need to develop alternative management indicators and reference points for deepwater snapper
• Indicators need to be easy to monitor – e.g. fish size• Indicators and reference points need to be integrated into a formal
management framework• Management Procedures (MP) is a useful framework, and is used
successfully in other deepwater fisheries • MPs specify the management action(s) that will be taken when
indicators reach certain threshold reference points– E.g reduce effort by X% when average fish size is < Ycm
Fisheries assessment and management
Activities
• Characterise deepwater snapper fisheries in each PICT to identify trends and critical data limitations
• Develop species distribution models and provide maps of potential habitat for the major target species
• Develop indicators and reference points suitable for application within a MP framework
Capacity development
• Aim to enhance capacity for deepwater snapper management and assessment in home country
• Opportunities for Pacific Island Fisheries Officers to complete post-graduate studies
• Long-term attachments to SPC to focus on developing skills in data analysis and assessment
Progress to date
Scientific Cruises
Cruises in Fiji, Samoa, Wallis & Futuna, and Tonga
Fished 24 seamounts
Scientific Cruises
• Detailed catch and effort data from lightly exploited populations - useful baseline information for assessments
• Biological samples collected from 970 individuals from 16 species
Data collection
• Supporting deepwater snapper fisheries data collection programs – Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa
• Implemented and supporting biological sampling – Tonga, New Caledonia (>1000 samples)
Capacity development
AusAID funding provides support for 4 Pacific Island Fisheries Officers to complete postgraduate degrees– Scholarships• Vanuatu – Jeremie Kaltavara (MSc, Australian Maritime College)• Samoa – Ueta Fa’asili Jr (MSc, University of Wollongong)
– Attachments, samples and analytical support• Tonga – Hau Halafihi (PhD, University of Canterbury)• Tuvalu – Etuati Poulasi (MSc, Australian Maritime College)
Species identification• Collaboration with Genetics lab at University of Hawaii• Identified new species (Etelis marshi) previously thought to be
Etelis carbunclus (ruby snapper)
Etelis carbunculus
Etelis marshi
Etelis carbunculus
Etelis carbunculus
Etelis marshi
Etelis marshi
Identification cards
• Waterproof species identification cards for fishers
• Distributed to Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu
Considerations
• Heads of Fisheries are invited to:– Note progress that has been made to date– Note that SPC will be providing in-country support
to establish fisheries data collection programs, but– Acknowledge that success of the project will be
dependent on support from Fisheries Departments
– Consider the need for funding beyond the life of this project (2015)
Questions?
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