SPC Stock Assessment Workshop, 3rd - 14 July 2006

SPC recently hosted a stock assessment workshop for fisheries officers from countries and territories within the Western and Central Pacific region. The workshop was one component within the larger Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Oceanic Fisheries Management Project. The workshop was expanded to also include non-project member countries as well, using other funding sources. This communication is intended to provide you with a brief overview of the workshop. The workshop was held at SPC headquarters in Noumea from the 3rd – 14th July, and was attended by 17 participants, one each from Palau, FSM, Guam, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Tokelau, Cook Islands and French Polynesia. Workshop facilitators from the SPC included Brett Molony, Adam Langley, David Kirby, Bruno Leroy, Valerie Allain, John Hampton and Don Bromhead. Considerable support was also generously provided by many other staff from the Oceanic Fisheries Programme. The workshop spent three days providing essential background theory (e.g. species biology, modeling theory etc) before moving into more intensive sessions on individual parameter estimation methods, which were discussed over the next 4 days. The final three days included a session on ecosystem considerations (e.g. current research directions, requirements within WCPFC etc) as well as exercises to provide participants the opportunity to discuss recent assessments in small groups. These included exercises to:

1. Discuss and contrast the four target tuna assessments
2. Form their own conclusions and recommendations from an assessment report where the actual conclusions had been removed.
3. Develop and deliver a powerpoint presentation that required groups of participants (grouped by region) to demonstrate an understanding of stock assessment theory and the implications of recent assessments for fishery management in their specific regions.

Overall the workshop was considered to be very successful. The participants demonstrated themselves to be a highly motivated and very hard working group and it was a pleasure to work with them over the two weeks. As an indicator of their dedication, it should be noted that they took it upon themselves to work after hours, on weekends and on public holidays! Participant feedback from survey forms filled out by all participants at the end of the workshop was also very positive, and useful in highlighting some areas where the workshop might be improved for the next time it is held. Importantly, it appears that many of the participants from the workshop will be attending the upcoming Scientific Committee in Manila in August. We would hope that their increased understanding of stock assessment theory and of the assessments produced by the OFP will significantly facilitate your country or territories participation in the SC, as well as assist in decision making at a domestic level. Further workshops should continue to strengthen this capacity to participate in these processes. A full report detailing the workshop will be available in late September. In the meantime, participants will also be sent CDs containing the workshop presentations, copies of their computer based practical exercises, as well as the reference papers used during the workshop.

Queries please contact:

Don Bromhead
Fisheries Scientist,
Oceanic Fisheries Programme,
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Ph: +687 620120, Email: DonaldB@spc.int