Fishermen associations and interested fishermen gathered at the village of Banraeaba, Tarawa in Kiribati to participate in a one-day workshop to learn about the FAO Japan project to support artisanal fisheries. The workshop, hosted by the Coastal Fisheries Division under the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development, closely followed a regional work shop held in Fiji explaining the aims and outputs of a fish aggregating device (FAD) program.

The workshop was facilitated by the Sustainable Fisheries Development Unit and the Fisheries Training Unit Team jointly with the FAO Technical Team Leader Mr Mike Savins and Japan's Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) Technical Advisor, Mr Koichi Sakonju.

Savins said the objectives of the workshop were to raise awareness of the project in general and relevant legal frameworks in Kiribati to support the Ministry of Fisheries extensive country wide FAD program, and  to Seek further review on the development of the proposed South Tarawa and Betio FAD’s to support small scale tuna fishers, identified as the Japan FAD programs target fisher communities.

The workshop invited the participation of the active fishermen associations and fishermen on South Tarawa and Betio to contribute to further development of the national FAD program for Tarawa.

FAO and the Government of Japan are collaborating with Pacific Island nations participating in the project to help boost livelihoods associated with coastal fisheries and small-scale tuna fisheries.

“Fisheries are an important source of food, income and cultural identity for Pacific Island nations”. Said Savins. “FAO is pleased to work with Japan to support local fishing communities in Kirbati and the Pacific region to develop livelihood opportunities and improve sea safety for fishers in the region”.

The overview of the regional project includes the following four key components, with one and four being the focus for the first year of the project in Kiribati:

1. Strengthening and developing community nearshore FAD programmes to provide improved access to high value species;

2. Structuring and strengthening of fishers’ associations and cooperatives;

3. Developing livelihood opportunities and revenue generating activities and products

4. Improving safety at sea for fishers of nearshore fish aggregation devices.

Participants to the workshop were the fishermen, representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Marine Division, and Sustainable Fishing and Development Unit and Fisheries Training Unit.

Background:

The project— Enhancing livelihoods and food security through fisheries with nearshore fish aggregating devices in the Pacific — covers seven FAO Pacific Island member countries, namely Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Vanuatu and Tuvalu.

The Government of Japan is providing USD 4.636 million (ST 12.248 million) for the three-year project, for which FAO is the implementing agency.