Offshore Fisheries Cook Islands 9 Jun 2016
Offshore Fisheries Management Objectives Fisheries resources are used in a sustainable manner that provides greatest overall economic, social and cultural benefit. Fisheries resources are sustained at levels that provide for future and current use. Rational approach to the development, exploitation, management and conservation of all living marine resources in a manner that will ensure maximum benefits accruing to the people.
Offshore Fisheries Management Principles and Measures 1 Environmental and information principles informing sustainable use of fisheries need adopt measures to ensure the long term sustainability of the fish stocks Decisions must be based on best scientific evidence available and designed to maintain or restore target stocks at levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield as qualified by relevant environmental and economic factors.
Offshore Fisheries Management Principles and Measures 2 Precautionary approach to be applied Impacts of fishing on non-target species and the marine environment should be minimised Biological diversity of the aquatic environment and habitat of particular significance for fisheries management should be protected.
Aspirations for Offshore Fisheries Management 1 Locally based/owned vessels More locally owned vessels increasing local processing and fresh fish exports to foreign markets. Increased employment in local processing. Food security Processing/value adding Seek high value export markets with value added products (smoked products, cooked loins, tuna jerky, sachets) Develop infrastructure in the northern Cook Islands for a transhipment port and possible onshore processing.
Aspirations for Offshore Fisheries Management 2 Subregional and Regional data sharing Quota Management System for key species Maximize the potential of CIFFO in Pago Pago & develop a self- funding cost recovery based management model for the office Enhance cooperation with neighbours and regional partners in MCS, including increasing monitoring and surveillance capacity through bilateral and mulitlateral partnership arrangements (TVM, bilateral patrols, NTSA cross-endorsed Observers)
Key issues Introduction/Operationalization of QMS Human capacity training (QMS/EM/ER) Northern Group infrastructure development Cook Islands Fisheries Field Office (CIFFO) Competent Authority – Food Safety accreditation Funding and Revenue Generation
Current status of offshore fisheries Longline Fishery 16,000 14,000 12,000 Total Catch (mt) 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 - 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Year Time series of longline catch by key species within the CK EEZ from 2001-2014. Time series of longline catch by key species within the CK EEZ from 2001-2014. Albacore Bigeye Yellowfin Other Species
Current status of offshore fisheries Longline Fishery 50 40 CPUE (kg/hundred hooks) 30 20 10 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Year Albacore Bigeye Yellowfin Longline catch per unit effort (kg per 100 hooks) of key tuna species from 2001-2014.
Current status of offshore fisheries Purse Seine Fishery 14000 12000 10000 Catch (metric tonnes) 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Skipjack Bigeye Yellowfin Catch (mt) key tuna species in the purse seine fishery, within the CK EEZ from 1994 - 2014.
Licensed Vessels Locally Based Not Locally based Year Gear Cook Islands Flagged Cook Islands Flagged Foreign Flagged Longline 2 10 23 2014 Purse Seine 0 0 0 Bunker 0 2 0 Longline 2 9 25 2015 Purse Seine 0 0 25 Bunker 0 3 0
Employment in the Offshore Sector Private Government Observers Total Sector/Industry 27 9 5 41 Onshore Activity Landed value of fishery catches ($m) 2014 Landed value 2012 2013 Longline fishery 40 32 44 33 Purse seine fishery 25 15 2 Local artisanal and game fishery 2 79 Total 65 49 Catch Landed into Avatiu port (tonnes) 2014 2015 2013 Cook Islands flagged vessels 194 154 Fresh catches offloaded 105 23 10 Fresh catches to be exported by airfreight 15 Chinese flagged vessels 18 0 Frozen by-catch sold locally 23 1,882 363 Frozen catches to be exported by seafreight 121 2,117 527 Total 49
Current Management Arrangements Restriction on new entrants and limit controls on the number of licences – priority to operators who commit to best fishing practices and bringing economic benefit to the Cook Islands Reporting requirements – Logsheets, eTunaLog (SPC) regional logsheets, unloading forms, port sampling, observer data collection. Level of observer coverage – currently around 12% Transhipments in port - Puka Puka island Catch Landings in Rarotonga, Pago Pago and Apia Establishment of TACs and TACCs using SPC data and catch history, including exploratory fisheries
Planned Management Arrangements Introduction of QMS ALB & BET – 2017. Currently reviewing Licensing System (FFA) Capacity Development – Competent Authority, Observer Coverage, Introduction of EM/ER EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Infrastructural Developments - Rarotonga - Northern Islands/Penryhn
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