Fisheries and aquaculture in Fiji:
Present status, and future plans
Presented by
Aisake Batibasaga
Ministry of Fisheries and Forests
OVERVIEW OF FISHERIES SECTOR –
GDP VALUE ($M)
GDP
GDP (%)
Export
Earnings
Employment
2005 2006
105 131
2.43 2.85
2007
119
2.59
2008
151
3.14
2009
133
2.76
2010
137
2.75
93.41 96.74
103
134
156
206
~50,000 (including subsistence sector)
FISHERIES SECTOR - OFFSHORE
OFFSHORE
Target species – Tuna (ALB, YFT, BET),
Deepwater Snapper
Total Allowable Catch:15,000 mt
Actual catches : 13,850 mt
Value: USD 67 million
PROCESSING
• processors – 6
• cannery – 2
• domestic fleet - 132
• employs : 1650 people
INSHORE FISHERIES
Importance:
• Food security
• Protein and micronutrient uptake
• Subsistence
• Livelihoods and
income generation
SUBSISTENCE CATCH
21,600 mt per year (Gillett and Lightfoot, 2001).
2008 Monte Carlo Model estimates:
18,186 mt per year (fish & invertebrates)
15,400 mt finfish
No. of fishers: 25,700
Subsistence catch
• Value: USD 31 m
• Finfish: USD 21.3 m
• Invertebrates USD 9.7 m
ARTISANAL (COMMERCIAL) FISHERIES
Catch
• Finfish – 5,500 mt (US $25.2 m)
• Invertebrate: 1,200 mt (US $ 6.5 m)
No. of Fishers: 22,650.
Reef-associated species dominate
• 85% of total catch
• ~100 reef fish species
• 30 species - invertebrates
BECHE-DE-MER
Markets
• High international demand
• High retail value: US$ 650 kg (HK)
• Price to fishers: $ FJ25- $11O kg
• Export value: FJ $21 mil in 2011.
• Exports fluctuate
Management issues
• Minimal monitoring and
enforcement
• Increased use of boats
• Use of SCUBA and hookah.
• Target other marine resources
AQUARIUM TRADE
• Value @ over FD 25m
• Hard & soft corals
• Live rock (unsustainable, CITES quota)
• Aquarium fish
SPAWNING AGGREGATIONS
x
x
x
Tilagica passage 2005
• Most reef fish aggregate to spawn
• Critical for fish stock replenishment
INSHORE FISHERIES CHALLENGES
Resource depletion
• Degraded habitats - reduce fisheries productivity
• Increased demand - overfishing
Better management
• More comprehensive MP
• Institute EAFM
• Basic data for indicators
INSHORE FISHERIES INITIATIVES
Management committees
• Implement actions at community and national level
Marine protected area networks
• Locally managed marine areas are the focus
• Assess benefits and efficacy using indicator species
• Participation of communities in data collection
Customary Marine Tenure and CBM
• Integrating local and national governance
FRESHWATER RESOURCES
Kai Fishery
• 2600-3000 mt = 60-70% of total fw catch
• Mainly women
• 3 major rivers: Ba, Sigatoka & Rewa.
• Important for rural economy & food
security
Fresh water prawns
Catch: ~10 mt
Declines in harvest due to forest clearing
and use of chemicals
AQUACULTURE
Commodities for livelihoods
• Black pearls
• Seaweed
• Freshwater prawn
• Mud crab
• Giant clam
Commodities for food security
• Tilapia
• Milkfish
AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION
Commodity
Tonnes per year
Value (USD)
Tilapia
160
217,000
Seaweed
135
71,000
FW prawns
20
350,000
40,000 pieces
4.50 million
Pearls
Total
5.1 million
(90% pearls)
Livelihoods in aquaculture: 550
KEY FEATURES OF THE SECTOR
Fish consumption
• 42 kg per person per year (national)
• 120 kg person per year (rural & islands)
Total finfish production
• 45,000 mt = 30.8 % Offshore, 68.5 % Inshore, 0.7 % Aquaculture
Areas
• Territorial Sea : 45,000 sq.km
• Archipelagic waters: 130, 400 sq. km
• Exclusive Economic Zone : 1,093,600 sq.km
• Total No. of i-Qoliqoli: 411 (31,000 sq.km)
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
• Maintain or increase sector contribution to 3%
of GDP,
• Cap inshore fisheries production at current
levels
• Maintain tuna catches and improve
proportion processed locally
• Aquaculture only potential area of expansion
?? – not being realized !
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
•
Improve management plans for all sectors
•
Strengthen research capacity to assess the status
of the resources
•
Strengthen policy & economic planning
framework
•
Incorporate EAFM – ‘ridge to reef’ management
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Need to implement management plans to :
• Improve capacity to manage the fisheries
sectors
• Form stronger alliances/ partnerships to
move management and conservation goals
forward.
• Assess the effects of drivers on the sector,
including climate change
‘How could climate change affect our plans?’
THANK YOU
VINAKA