A report on the current status of exploited reef fish aggregations in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea – Choiseul, Ysabel, Bougainville and Manus Provinces

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Coastal fisheries

In 2003 Richard Hamilton was commissioned by SCRFA to compile a preliminarydatabase reef fish spawning aggregations in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG). It was intended that the data collected would contribute towards the compilation of a detailed and comprehensive global database on the current status, location, and exploitation history of all known fish spawning aggregations. “Such a database can be used to summarize, in a standardized way, our current knowledge on reef fish aggregations, identify gaps in information, and provide a strong foundation on which support for aggregation management and protection can be based” (Preliminary report on the SCRFA global database, December 2002). Aside for compiling a preliminary database on spawning aggregations in each country, the in country visits also served as a valuable means of establishing contact with national and provincial fisheries officials, provincial officials, local community leaders, community based fishers and NGO’s. It also provided an opportunity to hold public meetings in many of the rural communities visited, where the issues surrounding spawning aggregations were discussed.