BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
COMMUNITIES recently installed with rafters around Malaita Province have reported catches.
Principal Fisheries Officer under Malaita Provincial Fishery, Mr Martin Jasper says it’s a positive feedback from their work.
He said recently they installed about eight rafters in various locations in the province to help communities with fishing and encourage them with Community Based Resource Management (CBRM)
He said the eight communities include, Suava, Afufu, Mana’ere and Pita’ama in north Malaita, Rufoki, Fote, Bio in West Kwara’ae, Abitono in East Kwaio and Ta’arutona in West Are’are.
Jasper said the Fish Aggregating Devise (FAD) were inshore rafters which were made purposely for community fishing.
He said the rafters or FAD were between one to two kilometers from shoreline which made it easy for them to do pelagic fishing.
“As well, the idea is for people to turn fishing concentration from reef as often happen to open sea.
“This is so that marine resource on reefs can have chance to produce and reproduce.
“And that comes under marine management in which when we try to protect our reefs or encourage CBRM, there must be an alternative fishing ground establish for people to do fishing,” Jasper said.
He said according to reports received from the communities being installed with FADS, just only couple of days after the installment they started catching fish.
“We applauded that and urged the communities to encourage FAD fishing and also important to pursue CBRM for their reefs.”
Jasper said the FAD project was funded by ADB through the Coral Triangle Initiative programme; World Fish was the facilitating agent.
