FFD_AR_1975 :: The University of the South Pacific Library

ANNUAL REPORT

1975

FISIIIBIES DIVISION

ANNUAL REPORT 1975

CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. VILLAGE FIJJJI.:RIES DEVELOPllENT PROJECT

2.1 Agri culture Store

2.2 Outbo!U'd cmgine rapair shops

2.3 Peo.co Corps procrra,uJe

2.l). Hiro Sche□e for outbo,1.r<l n<,t<,rri

2.5 Boatbuilding

2.6 Dooonstrntion Tcru:i

2.7 Village Fj :h�rios Survey

2.8 FAO/DANIDL VillBGc Dovelopncnt Project

3 • COMNBRC !AL FISIIBRIES DEVE10Pi1ENT

4. EXPBRIMENTAL FISHING

4.1 FAO Tuna Fishuri es Project

4.2 Baitfish culture

4.3 FAO Fishi ng ConsultMt

4.4 SPC Fisheries Project

4.5 Fisheries Divisions Boats

5 • TlffiTLE HATCH ERY

6. STAFF

1•

INI'RODUCTION

In the Governments F.iv e Yec1.r Developnent Pl:m 1975-1979, two major

Fisheri es Projects c>.:ce included:

Villac-e Fisheries Develop@ent

Conmercial Fisheries Development

2, VILLAGE FISH8'.lIES D111/ELQ!'Ll.;�HT PROJECT

T he tare-et and nchievrn:nent for this project was in 1975 as follows

(pa.Ge 129 in the F'ive Year Developmen t Plan)

End products

Village catch (tons live v1eight)

Commercial catch 11

"

11

Target

350

Nil

Achieved

400 (estimated)

Nil

MIontteorrimzeedidaftie shOiuntg;:uutsn,itsVil(_!llao),;:e

120

142

Outboard e11£sines sold

II

100

150

Dnploy1uent in part titw

fishing, boat buildinc; ,1nd r:1a1·keting

(No)

GOO

700

Interu1ecli.c.tc Ou\\;putn Cou1IUcrc.Lr:iJ.

Fishing boats 30-'jOft

Nil

rl'il

Fishermen

Nil

As can be sc,en the ta;_·g0ts ns sot in the Governments Five Year

Development Plan hav0 been more than met.

The vnrious fnctors thc1t contributed to the large increase in

number of motorized fishina units from 71 in end 1974 to 142 in end 1975

are as f ollo11s:

2 .1 .1:1.,:,:,:-.r.--i_r,:•.u-·l--t·u--r-- e S~t·0·· -·8.

Making equipncnt nvailablo to fishcrrien at a r easonablc

cost is t'.1e fir::;t str111 in ci�:p,3nding a fishery, In 1974 the

supply cf outl,o,:,.nl rnr_tincs, s p11rcparts and fishing gear was

vory in.:td.8c1nnto. Sornctimos several months passed 1·1hen essen

tial sparep2.rts rr fishing c_:enr were unobtainable. The

es:�abliG!ancnt of the Agriculturn Store in February 1975 was

n Gre:,t improvrn�,cnt in this situatio n. Very soon the first

stock of ;:>ChJi P'lrcury outboard encines wore sold out and all

tcGothcr tho 11£sricul turo '.Jtoro no1d 85 outboard engines in

1975 at a total vnlue af more them ,_;30.000. A largo stock of

fishing ecetr wets ,'.llso main taimd. It is hoped thnt in 1976 the

A.;riculture Store can further irJprovo its service to fisher

oon by es'c<'.lblishin,5 a moro cfficic>nt system for reordering

sparoports and or1uip1,1,:,nt.

2.2 _Outboard en1:inr) rc.r:1.i.r ::r�,n

Tllo r,:, p.:iirshop in l'.piu �,Ii icll lrnd bcCln estnbl:u3hcd with

the help of J.O.G.V, in 1973 uxpcriencod a greBUy increased

worl:locid durJ to tho doub1i111; •Jf the nun\\Jor of outboard <merinos

d1tring 1975. 1.'ow1rds th,, end of tho ye DI it became obvious

that t;bo v1orl:::;hoJJ had ,.o bo incro.:i.sod and the staff strength

ened. J. 0 .C. V. C(>nt inuul their vnlunblo nssis to.nee with

1:wchcnir, Kcn,;o '1'01,orc o.nd PoicCr! Corps provided t110 mechanics,

Jerry Clmwns for Lhc Apia worl<.shop and T0ta French for tho

Saleloloc;,J. 1rnrJ-:::;liop. Appro;;ina',cly 300 repnirs on outboo.rd

cn1sines were 0ffect,:d in 1975 by the Apia Workshop.

In tho hoi:;irn1ing o f 1975 tlw Snl<Jlologa 110rkshop was

cstci.:.1Jid10rlo The, wcrkshop w:rn \\.l_esi,:;nctl ,'.\\.I\\d tho construction

i:::i1pr,rvisorl hy r,,::w, F•)ld;.1011, <1 PrJ�1co Corps volunteer 1-1i th th,:

Fisheries Division fror.1 August 1974. The workshop oogan

operctLion ,1he11 the: Gn,up 17 ho.d cc,npletc,d their trctining

in June 1 975.

The workshop in Api:J and 3:-1lclolor;a have both b een

::ito.ffed Hith casunls and for tho future oporntion of these

workshop:, it is eu8 Eni tJ o.l to s I; L'C'll[_:hten tho Sntman S tnff

throuc;h cotablishinr: pvsls for hrn Meclwnic and tl-10

As-'3istc.nt Hocho.nics. Tlmso po[;i;s )iave been included in

the 1976 budt:ot.

2.3 Pence Corps Pror:rmme

ilfti)r training in outboard on· ine L1 aintenancc in

Ilr,wo.ii Pertee Corps Croup 17 consistine of 8 volunteers

arrived in Western Ser.10a in April a nd coopleted their

t raining in June. Apart fr or.i tho two mechanic s for Apia

an d Sfllelologa 1-10rkshop, the Pence Cor ps vol unteers were

placed i n the f ollowinc villages selected accor dine the

nunber of outboard engino=i:

Aleipata, Fusi, Lefct�n, Apolina Uta, Satuiatua, Sata.l.Ul.

The @ain pu rpose of s tationinr, the1 F'eace Corps vo lunteers

in the vilh1.ges wore to t0ach the fic1heroen preventive

oaintenance nnd ,3:recutc riino r r,.,pnirs. All o ajor r opairs

will be done in t hu Apia :in d Snlc lologa workshops. The

Peace Corps volunteers also provides vo.lua b lo infornations

to the Fisheries Div is ion rer-:arding nu□ber of active

fishinc units, nunber of trips :.incl avera.�;e catch per t ri p.

During tho period of Soptenbc,r tu October dnta fron 21

fishing u nits were collected showi ng tho_t, during this

period oach unit GO<:s out botHecn ti-10 2.nd threo ti1J0s a

wock 11nd cat ches on an ,WGra;�o 1201b of fish using about 5

to 6 cal.Jons ,;f r,ot;rol rx,r trj I'• :3orJo pf tho Doro active

fislwrncn in Aloipal.:1 cnU1sht 11 TL· Lhan '.)0001.b during this

period, The 11,Jl'iod ,_, r Oclobr,r to D,icouber io of course tho

good atu seaso:.1 which expl1Lin:1 \\;!,., !1igh catches caught on

t rolline,

2.4 Hire ScheDe for Outbonrd llotors

Tho Hire Systc□ which was ntetrtod in 1974 continued

its op,rntion in 19'75, Tn .,ddil;inn to the initial batch

of 10 YarJrhr ,'.l 2'.:ihp e111;inos ,. c":cond 1-,.�_Lch ·f 10 Tohastsu 25hr,

was p rovided by J,O.C.V. Altogether 62 Fi shcrucn hired o ut

board cnginns durine- 1975, nnc1 "ltoe;ethor �2,220 was collcc

t0d in rent. The rent for ono ;.1,):.1 l;hs hj re was originally �;20.

In tile 0r ic;inal .:10rce11cnt bctwe;cn J;•O.C ,V. and tho Govornocnt

tho r ent sh-_;uld bo high 0no ugh to pay for all repairs and pur

chase new on;:,inos when tho old ones where wo rn out. It was

found during tho first ycru: of operation that tho sum of �20

was not ·::;,ufficient to cover all costs and the rent was raised

to �'.40 as fror.i June 1975.

2.5 Boatbuildinq

Bontbuildine 1-rna sto.rtocl Hi thin the shod of the

Fisheries Division in Apfa. Tl10 on �rJrials wore suppliod

by tho Fi::ihuries Division whi le th0 worlc was contrnctcd

to a r,roup of 6 bouthuildc:rs, Tl1e building of boats started

in Fcbrunry 1·1ith the ccmstructionrf ,1 prototype 18ft and

a 28ft lioo.t both to lie po,1r-•rcd by 8 20hp ot u board ootor,

Tho constn1ctio11 was furth0r adv:.'-ncod with the arrival in

June of FAO Associate Exper t in l30.:1tbuilding, Ari ld Ovoraa

f roD llorway. Durinc- 19'75 altoccthor 1�- boats of 18ft and

5 !)o::ito of 28ft hav(, b(,>011 built. The, po:mbd ty of trrn

18ft boo.t is p.'.1.dly d1i.o to pri co ( �,400) and tho inclination

c•f 1Jos t S.:i.c•)o.n, f ish•crnon c,f only coing trolling for tunn.

Thore is no doubt th:i.t a ccnbin:ttion boat for hondlining und

is CL batter solution for Sacoa.

-4 -

The Fishories DiviGion is thcroforo through its Demonst

ratio n term oncouraginc the use of the 28ft boat for th:i_

conbinntion fishing.

Tho sale of boats frou the li'ishorios Division C!lIJO to

a total of �;a471 in 1975,

2.6 Dc□oustration Tc=

The Dc□onstra tion Tcru:i c,Jno.is ts of a 28ft ::mcl an 18ft

boc1t with o ne lend.inc; fislwri�an in each boat nnd an oidra

casual. 'rho 28ft bont nomally i:nkus 3 local fish<cr□on alon,;

Md tho 18ft boat 2. The uain purpose cif the Dcoonstre.tion

teoo is to dcoonstrato now bouts ancl cquip□cnt suitub lo for

bottou fisld1117,. During tho uui11 pcirt of t ho year tho

DcGJonstration-Tonm wcrlrncl with the, SPC Fisheries Project in

Asau.

P·�riod

Village

15/7-25/7

Lapa

5

7/11--11/11 Musuousu

2

3

13/11-19/11 Salimu

3

20/11-21/11 Taolofaga

2

24/11-26/11 Maasina

3

1/12-4/12

Lam Akoi

3

5/12-9/12

SruJonca

3

10/12-15/12 Salatolo

2

--- -

TOTAL

22

24

1065

380

196

393

152

222

108

181

2697

1100

380

512

179

281

609

563

410

4044

213

126

65

196

51

74

36

181

123

220

126

170

90

93

203

187

205

169

It will be notecl from tho ,1bovo tho.t tho 28ft b oat

caught 407� r.1ore fish por trip tll::tll tho 18ft boat which proves

its suporiority for bottoo fishi nc;, Altogether the Denonst

ration tono during its f irst poriod of uctual fishing in the

villuc:os has 2L1ply pr0ven its vnluo by showine that sufficiont

c2.tch00 can bo c:1Ucht hy ,'l bo,i\\; of ;�Cft ov en wh en tuna is not

uvo.ilnblri to nilkc n hnrnlsooo ;)rofit. Tho fishing rur:ult is

r of course vory rl,•promknt on tho :;idll r t Im fishen1:1n and

bottoL1 fi:,hina clur illr, nicht at d,,pth of 100 fathous roquiro

t1uch r�oro strong th rm<l st,'.1L1in.'l tli.'.ln t rollinr; a t de,ytioo,

lloHovor the:r0. is n0 duubt \\;hat ,'.\\Ji incru,J.::iud and no.ro rogulnr

fish prorluct:Lon l.•y vLllc1/;e uni\\;11 cnn only ho nchiovod thro1•(3h

uorc int<.:nsivo bottou fiahing U11m is carriocl out ,'.l t proaont,

Tho Fisheries Di vision is therc,fore pur suinr__; this lino of

action t;hroueh its Dornmstration Tollli! and 'through tho supply

of ho;:,.ts nnd cquipr,1,�nt sui tntlo for botton fishing,

2, 7 Villa@ Fisheries §urvo,:

Durill{; Vovenbcr 1975 o survey wr.s co.rriod on in Upolu

and Snvnii to doi:cm.,ino tho nui;ilwr of acti vo fishing uni ts

utilizil1f; ontho :inl uncin0s. Tlv1 3urvcy s hot1ed tho followinc

number of fishinc u!:its nnd ,_,utbo:.'.rd □otors.

No.' of

Motorized units

1974

1975

Upo lu

44

98

Savaii

29

44

Total

73

142

Typo of carrxft 1975

Ali a Va�nlo Vnnnfi

49

15

36

15

22

6

64

37

42

Nuraber of engine s sold in 1975:

Me rcury 20 hp

85

Johns on 40 hp

9

II

25 II

25

It

15 II

14

II

9"

6

II

6 II

9

II

4 II

1

Total

H9

2..8 FAO/DANIDA Villngo Fiahories Dovoloprient Pro.joct

The Plan of Opl)rntion for this pr,[i ect wa s signed

by the �ecretary t o Go verru:_1ent on the 1 December 1975, and

tho proJect becane oper:i.tional fron this dato. Tho project

is for a total of US�OB.500 o ver a two yoe.r period til ond

1977, About WS�;230.000 wil l b e utilized for the construc tion

of boat s in Festern Snooo nnd the ioportation of e ngincs and

equipnent. The pro,ject ,�ill supply fully equipped fishing

boats for selected village fish<;r□en through a Hire/Purchase

ayst e@. The repaynent will establish a Ruvclving Fund in

the DevelopLJent Bank. Tm project which is financed by

Donoark and executed by FAO, ,�ill over 1976 and 1977 be of

najor i!ilportanc e in the expnnsion of t ho villnee fishery.

COMl�ERCIAL PISI!ERIES DEVELOPf-iENI'

This proj ec I; is e nvise.ged to stnrt in 1977 with the introduc tion

of lnrgor boats of aroun d 40-50ft, During 1975 the constru ction had been

started on a 41ft boat by a loc2l co□pany, Wallwork Ehterpriccs, This fo

a ver y wor thwhile effort and should receive Governnent support through

the establishment of suitab le Qooring space and landing quay for fi sh in

Apia. It also raises the need for n l'IUCh b ettGr slipway nn d repair acrvicu

than the one prese nt ly existing in Apia. It is t he opinion of tho Fish

eries Di visio n thnt the prof itability of lare;or boat s will bo dependant

o n the introdu ction of th e pole and line fishit)6 i;iethod utilizine' livo

bait. The 1-'.lck of live bait in tho logoons to sustain o. COl:ll:lercial

f ishery creates a tJajor hindrance to the d evelopmmt of this fishery nn:l

it can only be ovor cooo by the culture of a suitable .lulrdy l ive bait.

This is dealt with under section 4.2.

4,

EXPERrnENI'AL .l<'ISHHG

4.1 FAO Tuna Fis horics Pro.jcct

This project bocauc oporu tional with tho n.r:r,....-nl of

the PAO rmstcr fishori;1nn 3hiro Horibo in Aui;'\\U>.., 1971. Tho

FAO provided a 41ft pole and lino fish.irv.; vessel in llugus t

1972. Mr !Ioribe depnrtod in Nay 197, and the r osu lt hnd that

fnr b eun negative. Thu ::;urvoy- of u live boit resource of

noccoss ity takes comidora1,k tir:w and tho project nc ti vitics

wore rl)GW:tcd in Februrn;· 197'1- with the orrivnl of the FAO

l1actcrfinht,rr:1UJ1 i1, p,.,;lo, After a 18 uonths survey it was

conch:dod tl,nt j,·.:.11fficiont bnit w:is nvnilnblo to support

,:i. coCIClGl"cj.Q. fishcr.y. In ccmauJ.t,.t.ia:m �n th e FAO

Regional Fir.;hurios (;�.,,r<l..1.n...-.tor li.a.rry Sperlin,� cmd the

Govo rnnent, the proj::) ct wns tcminatod by end 1975, A

r evised project wi tJ, onplmsi,rn on live bni t culture is

boine proposed for tho inclusion in tho UNDP Count ry

Progrmne; 1977-81, Since the utili:i;.ation of the FAO

41ft Tuna boo.t would dopcmd on nvctilGblo live bait it

was agreed that the boot should be: transferred on n

temporary basis to t he FAO }!urine Resources Survey

Project in Tont:a,

The FAO Tum Project has hvwever confir□ed the

abundru1ce of skipjctck tuna on a year around basis with

LlOin activity in October-June. The resource is therefore

presont to support n creatly, e,qxmded fishery onco

suita1llo cul turo live b.:tit boco□GS availnblo in sttffi

cient qunntity.

4,2 Bait fish cult1!£Q

The bnit fish culture project was prepared by tho

Peace Corps Marine Biologist Gone Foldonn in Octobor 1974.

A suitable site for the c·xcnvation of ponds was locatod in

Vaiusu B ny, For unknown reo.sons it took the Lands and

Survey Dep,,rtulcnt nore than one yeo:r to fin3lizo tho lease

of this site which seriously delayed the execution of t his

irlportant project, The lease was finally signed in Novenbcr

1975 and the c:r.cnvation of ponds started in Dccenbcr!

Prelininary rcsul ts of using the the first cxpcrinental

ponds for culture of Ncxicnn Mollie (P, ooxicana), local

TllJDe Tiavai, will be available in April 1976, The ,'.lctivi'tios

is coordim tec1. with th e bo.itfish cultu re project in Ane ricnn

Swoa, Tho purpose of U10 cxporiDontal ponds is to obtain

sufficient infc=ntions to pemit comitruction of ponds on

a r.mch larger □cc2lc utilizing the sooe kind of swnrJp-land

which is not suitable for any otm r purpose.

4,3 FAO Fishing Con,sultl)l1t

Mr. R, Wabherson, an export snapper fishorna.n fron

Florida, arrived in end of Murch, Durine his thrco □onths

stay, he 1'/0rkod partly with the SPC project nnd µi.rtly with

the Fisheries Divisions Dcoonstrc1tion Te,'ID. Mr. Wabbersen

confirocd thnt the bottoo fishin[s do not ybld tho samo high

rosults as in the Gulf of Mm:ico, but that several inprove

mm ts could be 11ad0 to the loc0l bottoo 1 ishing technicquos,

Anong these ioproveC1cnts con be '.JCntioncd a new typo of

anchor ruid c>. ucthod for Dvving froo one fishing ground to

c1notho r without lifting th:i .:inch<Jr. This□ D.kes shiftini; of

fishing posit ions fGT loss streneous than hauling 150 fathous

of anchor line each t:i.ue, 1'/110n tho anchor is finnlly hauled,

a buoy is used to retrieve it.

4,4 SPC Fisheries Pro,ject

The project arrived in Western Sar;ioa 20 Vi'.JI'Ch

and stayed until 31 October. Asou was ch osen as a base

for tho project. The project h ad a staff of one Manager,

3 Mast0r Fishornon o.nd 1 nochanic. T!J.J cwo boats consisted..

of enc 24ft aluniniuo b oat -.riirl-< " 70 h.fJ cnrysrcr Nis::ian d'i�,c,/L

en/iine cind rJno 24ft, TugO]Jc'f; o Plyirood boat with a 1 35 hp

P •JJ ;--,..:.-,,,, p,-1. ,vl ,.nic;ino� Thc.28ft boo.t f-cxr tho Fish0rios

Divisions DeDunstr:. ition ToaJJ 1ms nost of the tio1.1 attached

to the projc,ct, Dnrini; tlio c,·ursc of tho project 13 truincQs

p nrticipatod in th,.' fir1liinr; for p,·rir:ds c,f fr0D fuur to ten

weeks, Tho pru,Jt'C t cnnGht 1 �OOOlb fin.Ii over six oontho which

go.vo the Gover nuont 1. r uvonw, (•f ,,2850, Tho nveru ;c catch

per trip w,s 1iJ2lb 011 hdton fi.:1hinr: ,nd 61 lb for trollin,'.,.

Thoa-0 catch rr:i;os DTO not- spGCtD,cu.J.p.r, b\\lt c-ertain],y suffioion-b

to cover t ho cost of oporotion of suQllor boots like the 28ft

boat b uilt by tho Fishorics Divisions. Tho project pr ovide<l.

v�uablo tr0.ining for oany of the local fishoroon and o.s rccult

of ·it s activities, fishen1on frco Falcalupo hnvo ordered two

28ft diesel pou:-rod boats frco tho Fisher ies Div ision. A

sp:icinl report on this project hns b,,on sub□ittod to tho

Govornoon t by SPC.

4.5 Fisheries Divisiorn Boo.ts

Co.tell in 1975:

J rumrrry

F obruo.ry

I inrch

J\\pril

Moy

J une

J uly

A ugust

·]optornbcr

0 ctobcr

fovcobor

Decorabor

Tffi' AL

I

No. of

.trip;i

-

3

7

6

16

FD I

Woir,ht

in lb i

-

:

I

i

-

I

Vn- luo

-

--

l - I -

--

-

I

I'

-

f

-

360-t

976

563½

�;71 .50

212.10

109,00

No. of

triPS

6

8

7

-

a

5

4

5

-

2

1900

392.60 j 39

FD II

it/o�ht

in lbs

1208

Vnluc

$216.e J

2062

835

-

26

'

:

367.55

I 153, 1 5

-

:

!

-

I

'

..,;

'

3,9'· J

550}

110.00

543½

91.3 0

658

123,2 0

--

269

6152

53.0 0

-

1119. 75

.\\vo raf,0 catch pur trip 1191b

1581b

The FD IV was not op::re.tional duo to lr.clc of sp,,repnrts. Tho

engine o f t ho FD I hos b0on doo.:ccod by w::ttcr ingression when the boat

wont on the rovf in Docoobor 1972. Duo to de l�ys in delivery of spo.ro

parts, tho engine wo.s not r op::tirod befor e oiddlo of 1975 and than throw�h

tho ussistrncc oftho newly orrivcd :'A.0 bontbuilde r Arild 0voraa. The

FD II went on the reef in Asau in M&ch Glld oinco tho slipwny in Apia wns

occupied for 3 oonths, t he d=�eo could not uo ropoircd bcfro o June.

Tho experience of operating tho 10.rccr boots in tho Fisher ies

Divis ion has clonrly shown thnt fron on 0conor.1ic point of view these

boats nro not very profit2.ble. Tho 20ft bo�.t used in the Dooonstrntion

Tcan had o. hieln r catch per trip than tho FD II and t ho investoont cos t

is five tines loss. With the presentfishing mithods of tr olling and

h::tndl inil'\\£;, tho 28ft boat presently built by the Fisheries Division for

the Villa.go Fieh.Jry scans to be tho t13Xi.L1tu.1 size c,f b o.'.'.t requirod.

5. TURTill HATCHERY

Tho follow inc; rocorrls ,:;iven the r:ctivi ty of the turtle hatchery

in 1975 •

Eg@ found

Jru1. 489

Fob.

rlorch

April 1280

Mny 1498

Juno 50�

July

Au:5-1s t

Sept.

Oct. 312

Nov. 577

Doc. 499

Erw;s Hr.tched

236

176

117

065

25'1-

39

128

Turtles

Rele!JSO\\l

'1-42

42

190

507

684

102

149

189

5

5159

2�60

2380

Thora a re indic o. tions thn t tho popul�1tion of Jfawksbill turtles

is now incroo.sini_! in Wostorn Scirwa. Tho turtles o.rv r.iarked boforo the

rolon.se by trucing off ,:mo '->f the nibs in thG shell cind sovora.l turtles

thus marked hos boon found for sale in the Apia :1-l-u-ket or co.u[;ht in tho

fish trcips a.t Alcipatci.

G. S'rAFF

Luatua Tocitasi Vesi, continued ns an Actine; Controlling Officer

in 1975. Four new posit.ions wore cre,'.\\tcd I two for lee.ding fisheroen

2nd two for Assistant Mechonic. Tho lrpl\\ illG f ishorrwn positions wore

fillod but only one ,,f the /lssist;:u1t Mcclrnnic positions, Uctn Fnnsili

Fishorios cru:io lmck in October fro□ n. one year course in Ene;lnnd and Fili

Sunf'oo went in Mny for .:i one yo::ir course in Cc;:,.stlll Fisheries in Japan,