Fish from the Arnavon Island Marine Reserve, Solomon Islands

by The Nature Conservancy

Partners:

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Ministry of Forests and Environmental Conservation (MFEC) Arnavon Islands Management Committee International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

1997 Update

The construction of the fish purchasing cooperative centers at Sire and Wagina for the operation of the deep-water finfish fisheries project was completed by December 1996. At the Sire Center, an existing structure was modified to provide extra space required for storage and handling of fish and a new generator shed was built.

In Wagina, the 60 x 32 foot center was built from scratch. The structure is reinforced block and cement with a corrugated galvanized roof. Two new staff houses were built adjacent to the center. They are timber framed and clad. The original intention was to build semi-permanent, leaf walling dwellings for staff, but the community requested that the houses be built with timber walling. As with Sire, all timber required was bought locally by contracted small milling operators and construction was carried out by the Wagina communities.

Commencement of construction of the new center was delayed by several weeks owing to a request by several members of the community for an increase in the agreed upon contract price, a problem which often arises when projects get under way in Melanesia. This was eventually resolved through the intervention of the ALMCA Management Committee members.

A job description for the two Center Managers was advertised locally in Posarae and Wagina. The community fishing committees which were established in the early phase of the project undertook interviews and filled both posts by January 1997. The two Center Managers are learning simple book-keeping with intensive "one on one" training.

In November, a master fisherman was retained by the Enterprise Project to train 24 fishermen in deep water snapper fishing techniques at the Sire Center. The first fish produced by the project arrived in Honiara during the last week of November. Arrangements have been made with the Honiara based fish broker Island Seafood's Ltd. to purchase the project's fish. Fish purchase prices were negotiated with Island Seafood's Ltd. on a similar basis to those received by other fisheries centers in the Solomons.

Intensive training of 30 fishermen from Wagina took place in early March. Training consisted of practical training in the building and overhauling of gear, navigation techniques, safety, fish handling to ensure export quality and basic outboard maintenance and small boat handling.

The completion of the construction phase, establishment of the center management structure and the training of fishermen and their successful initial fishing represents a very significant achievement in this remote, relatively unserviced area of the Solomons. It is however, in many respects, the easier of the tasks facing project management. The most difficult phase of the project will be maintaining the commitment and resources needed to build the management capacity and procedures vital to the long term commercial sustainability of the project. The real success can only be measured over the long term.

Successes and Challenges

"OK...So What?"

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