Cook Islands
Training helps Licensing Officers use legal and FFA tools to control fisheries
Region's biggest maritime surveillance operation, hosted by FFA, clamps down on illegal fishing
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 15 NOVEMBER 2010: Operation Kurukuru 2010, a coordinated maritime surveillance operation in which countries cooperate to detect illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, hosted by the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency concluded this week with several successful boardings and apprehensions of suspected illegal fishing vessels.
WCPFC Area Catch Value Estimates
Introduction
The report aims to provide estimates of the value of catches of the four main commercial species caught in the Western and Central Paciffic Fisheireies Commission (WCPFC) Convention Area, that is, albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares). The report also provides catch data provided by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and prices obtained from a range of sources (provided below) on which the estimated values are based.
Surveillance Operation TUI MOANA shows continuing determination by FFA members to deter illegal fishing
FFA REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, MONDAY 8 JUNE 2010: Operation Tui Moana, a surveillance operation involving Cook Islands, Samoa and New Zealand, coordinated by the FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre, concluded on Monday demonstrating determination by FFA members to deter illegal fishing by conducting regional MCS operations.
Over 10 days, the Cook Island Pacific patrol boat with two NZ fisheries officers, supported by a P3K Orion surveillance aircraft provided by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), conducted surveillance and boarding operations in the EEZ's of Samoa, Cook Islands and the surrounding high seas areas and the pocket adjacent to Cook Islands EEZ.
Pacific Patrol boat President Te Kukupa from Cook Islands, complemented the surveillance by a RNZAF P3C Orion surveillance aircraft provided by NZ to conduct patrols targeting Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing vessels.
FFA & OFMP assists countries to board and prosecute fishing vessels in Cook Islands
RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS 17-21 MAY 2010: Fisheries officers, police and legal staff in Cook Islands learnt more about how to board, inspect and prosecute fishing vessels at an FFA Dockside and Boarding Inspection Workshop which closes today.
Officers were taught subjects including International law, National laws, Regional and Sub-regional Fisheries Agreements, Fishing Vessel Boarding & Evidence Collections and Court Procedures.
FFA has provided these workshops for all its member countries and territories to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance in the Pacific Islands region. In addition to fisheries and police or navy officers, crown law office staff and public prosecutions staff, officers in related roles such as immigration, customs and quarantine agencies have also attended the workshops. A total of 400 participants from 15 FFA member countries have participated since 2005.
Officers learn about monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, MONDAY 29 JUNE 2009: Fisheries and compliance officers from Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu are in Honiara this week to learn more about monitoring, control and surveillance of illegal fishing.
The Week 5 FFA Component of the National Fisheries Officers’ Surveillance Course opened today in Honiara at the FFA Conference Centre. This is the final week in the 5-week course, the rest of the course being conducted by AMC Search Ltd in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
The Course is an annual event funded by the Australian Department of Defence and facilitated by staff of the Australian Maritime College and the FFA. The course is aimed at developing expertise and capacity of national officers responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing in the region.
FFA assists countries to board and prosecute fishing vessels
NUKU’ALOFA, TONGA, MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2008: The FFA Director General Su’a N.F. Tanielu opened the Prosecution and Dockside Boarding Workshop in Tonga today. This workshop will assist local officers to board and inspect fishing vessels for offences.
In Tonga this week, fisheries officers, police and maritime navy at the workshop will learn more about International law, National laws, Regional and Sub-regional Fisheries Agreements, Fishing Vessel Boarding & Evidence Collections and Court Procedures.
Solomon Islands hosts region’s biggest maritime surveillance operation this week
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, 12 SEPTEMBER 2008: Operation Kurukuru 2008, a coordinated maritime surveillance operation in which countries cooperate to detect activities such as illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, smuggling and people trafficking, was hosted by the Solomon Islands this week.
Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management
Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management assists FFA member countries to use a process of management for their fisheries. EAFM reports have been done for Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The process is similar to risk management and involves four overall stages:
i. determining the scope of the assessment – develop a clear description of what is to be managed/assessed;
ii. given the scope, identifying all the issues that need to be assessed; preferably across the five key areas of EAFM and agreeing on the values wanted to be achieved for each of these;
iii. determining, using risk analysis, which of these issues needs to be managed directly; and
