FIELD REPORT No. 6 FISH AGGREGATING DEVICE (FAD) SITE SURVEYS, FAD DEPLOYMENTS AND FISHING SKILLS WORKSHOPS FOR KOSRAE STATE,

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1 Secretariat of the Pacific Community FIELD REPORT No. 6 on FISH AGGREGATING DEVICE (FAD) SITE SURVEYS, FAD DEPLOYMENTS AND FISHING SKILLS WORKSHOPS FOR KOSRAE STATE, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA 10 April to 6 May 2000 and 9 September to 7 October 2000 by Steve Beverly Fisheries Development Officer Secretariat of the Pacific Community Noumea, New Caledonia 2001

2 Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community 2001 All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. The SPC authorises the partial reproduction or translation of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided the SPC and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPC artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. Original text: English This field report forms part of a series compiled by the Fisheries Development Section of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community s Coastal Fisheries Programme. These reports have been produced as a record of individual project activities and country assignments, from materials held within the Section, with the aim of making this valuable information readily accessible. Each report in this series has been compiled within the Fisheries Development Section to a technical standard acceptable for release into the public arena. However, they have not been through the full Secretariat of the Pacific Community editorial process. In March 2000 the Capture Section became the Fisheries Development Section, to better reflect the actual work undertaken by the Section. At that time, the Unpublished Reports produced by the Capture Section ceased, and this new series of Field Reports commenced. The names have changed; the Section, the reports and the functions continue. Secretariat of the Pacific Community BP D Noumea Cedex New Caledonia Tel: (687) Fax: (687) fishdev@spc.int Prepared at Secretariat of the Pacific Community headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia, 2001 ii

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) acknowledges with gratitude the cooperation and assistance of Mr Francis Itimai, Head of Fisheries Section, FSM Department of Economic Affairs and Mr Nena Nena, Director of Kosrae s Department of Agriculture, Land, and Fisheries. SPC also acknowledges the assistance of Kosrae s Fisheries Development Division Administrator Mr Robert Taulung, Surveillance Administrator, Mr Tony Abraham, and FDD staff including Mr Max Salik, Mr Mac Refilong, Mr Roland Sigrah, Mr Steve Palik, Mr Anderson Tilfas, and others who helped out during FAD deployments and during the FAD fishing and deep-bottom fishing skills workshops. SPC would also like to thank the National Aquaculture Center for providing accommodation. AusAID provided funding for the fieldwork carried out during this project, and SPC acknowledges with gratitude the support of the Australian Government. iii

4 Units used ºC degrees Centigrade HP horsepower khz kilohertz (cycles per second) km kilometre kw kilowatt m metre mm millimetre nm nautical mile VDC volts direct current

5 SUMMARY Three states in the FSM Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap requested assistance from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in developing a FAD programme. Chuuk was not included in the requests. SPC s Fisheries Development Adviser, Lindsay Chapman, visited FSM during 1999 to make arrangements for a Fisheries Development Officer to conduct FAD site surveys, FAD riggings, and FAD deployments in the three states. The visit to Kosrae was the second part of the project. The Yap and Pohnpei components of the project are discussed in separate documents. SPC Fisheries Development Officer, Steve Beverly, visited Kosrae twice, once during April 2000 and again during September During the April visit, FAD surveys were conducted at two sites, Okat (west side) and Utwe (south side). FAD sites were chosen, one at each survey area, and a FAD deployed at each site. SPC provided an echo sounder, portable transducer housing, and GPS plotter for conducting FAD site surveys. The equipment was left in Kosrae during the period April to September, so the Kosrae Fisheries Development Division (FDD) staff who had been trained as counterparts during April, could conduct site surveys in three more localities. A third FAD site was selected from these surveys. SPC returned in September 2000 to conduct two FAD fishing and deep-bottom fishing skills workshops, one for FDD staff and one for local artisanal fishermen. Vertical longline, palu ahi, and deep-bottom fishing gear and fishing techniques were the themes of the workshops. Several yellowfin tuna were caught near the Utwe FAD. Marketable sized longtail red snappers were caught on a seamount near Utwe Harbour. FDD staff was left with the skills to conduct similar workshops in the future. At the conclusion of the workshops, a third FAD was deployed at the site chosen from the Lelu (northeast) survey conducted by FDD staff. v

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7 RÉSUMÉ Trois des États fédérés de Micronésie, Kosrae, Pohnpei et Yap, ont demandé au Secrétariat général de la Communauté du Pacifique (CPS) de leur apporter son concours pour conduire un programme de mouillage de DCP. Chuuk n'était pas concerné par cette requête. Le conseiller pour le développement de la pêche de la CPS, Lindsay Chapman, s'est rendu aux États fédérés de Micronésie en 1999 afin de préparer la mission d'un chargé du développement de la pêche qui devait évaluer les sites potentiels et procéder à l'assemblage et au mouillage des DCP dans ces trois États. La mission menée à Kosrae constituait la deuxième phase de ce projet; Yap et Pohnpei font l'objet d'un rapport séparé. Steve Beverly, chargé du développement de la pêche à la CPS, s'est rendu à Kosrae en avril puis en septembre Au cours de sa première visite, il a étudié les possibilités de mouiller des DCP à Okat (à l'ouest) et à Utwe (au sud). Un emplacement a été choisi dans ces deux sites et un DCP y a été mis à l'eau. Pour l'étude des sites, la CPS avait fourni un sondeur accoustique, un transducteur portable et son boîtier et le traceur GPS. Ce matériel est resté à Kosrae entre le mois d'avril et le mois de septembre pour que les agents de la Division du développement de la pêche formés en avril puissent faire des études de sites dans trois autres localités. Ils ont ainsi retenu un troisième site de mouillage. En septembre 2000, la CPS a organisé deux stages consacrés à la pêche autour des DCP et aux techniques de pêche profonde, l'un étant destiné au personnel de la Division du développement de la pêche et l'autre aux pêcheurs locaux pratiquant une pêche artisanale. L'utilisation de palangres verticales, le palu ahi, les engins et les méthodes de pêche profonde étaient inscrits au programme. Plusieurs thons jaunes ont été capturés à proximité du DCP mouillé à Utwe, et des vivaneaux la flamme, d'une taille suffisante pour être commercialisés, ont été pêchés au-dessus d'un mont marin à proximité du port d'utwe. Les agents de la Division du développement de la pêche possèdent désormais les compétences voulues pour conduire eux-mêmes des formations du même type. Au terme de ces stages, un troisième DCP a été mouillé sur le site retenu lors de l'évaluation menée par les agents de la Division du développement de la pêche à Lelu (au nord-est). vii

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9 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae State Kosrae s past FAD projects and assistance received from SPC 2 2. FAD SURVEYS: MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Survey vessel and equipment Survey technique 5 3. FAD SURVEY AREAS, BOTTOM CONTOURS, AND FAD SITE SELECTION FAD site survey selection The Okat FAD survey and FAD site The Utwe FAD survey and FAD site The Lelu FAD survey and FAD site 8 4. FAD RIGGING AND DEPLOYMENTS The Indian Ocean FAD Deployment method FAD FISHING AND DEEP-BOTTOM FISHING SKILLS WORKSHOPS CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions Recommendations REFERENCES 17 APPENDICES A. FAD site survey conducted by FDD off Walung Channel showing FAD site 19 B. Participants in FAD fishing and deep-bottom fishing skills workshops 21 ix

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11 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) consists of over 600 islands spread out over 2,780,000 km 2 of the western and central Pacific Ocean. This chain of islands runs east and west and was formerly known as the Caroline Islands (Figure 1). FSM lies between the equator and 14º N latitude and between 135º E and 166º E longitude. The islands range from high volcanic islands to low-lying coral atolls. The total land area is only 700 km 2 and only about 60 of the islands are inhabited. The climate is tropical with relatively uniform annual temperatures of 27º C. Most of FSM has a definite wet season and dry season with annual rainfalls varying from 2700 mm in the west to 6500 mm in the east (Smith 1992). Figure 1: Federated States of Micronesia Politically, FSM consists of four states. Going from west to east the states are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. The administrative head of FSM is in Palikir on Pohnpei. There are three levels of government in FSM: national, state, and municipal. Each state has a marine resources division or a fisheries division, which falls under the National Fisheries Section. The National Fisheries Section falls under the Department of Economic Affairs. 1.2 Kosrae State Kosrae (Figure 2), formerly known as Kusaie, consists of a single island. At 109 km 2 it is the second largest island in FSM (Stanley 1992). It lies about 560 miles southeast of Pohnpei and is the easternmost state in FSM. The highest peak is Mt Finkol at 629 m. A valley lies between this peak and Mount Mutunte. The skyline of the mountain ridge presents an outline of a sleeping lady, which gives Kosrae its name Land of the Sleeping Lady. This feature is one of the island s visitor attractions. Kosrae is very lush, covered in tropical rainforest in the interior and mangrove forests around the perimeter. It is also occasionally referred to as the Jewel of Micronesia. There are three natural harbours in 1

12 Kosrae: Okat on the west side, Lelu on the east, and Utwe on the south. Lelu is located on a small island connected to the rest of Kosrae by a causeway. It is the main population and commercial centre on Kosrae and is also where the Fisheries Division is located (Fisheries is actually located on an artificial island on the causeway that was formerly an airstrip between Lelu Island and the mainland). FSM s National Aquaculture Centre (giant clam farm) is also located on the causeway. Figure 2: Kosrae State 1.3 Kosrae s past FAD projects and assistance received from SPC During the months of April and May 1979, SPC Masterfisherman, Paul Mead (Mead and Crossland 1979), gave instruction in deep-bottom fishing techniques to 18 trainee fishermen using a 4.3 m aluminium runabout powered by a 15 HP outboard motor and equipped with two Samoan handreels. Thirty-six species of fish were caught on 17 bottom fishing trips, with an average catch of 77 kg/trip. The catch rate was 9.6 kg/reel-hour. Mead recommended that the Agriculture Department build alia-type catamarans and give them out through some kind of loan scheme to qualified fishermen. He also recommended that tuna handline methods should be tried. In 1987 SPC Masterfisherman, Archie Moana (Moana and Cusack 1997), spent six months on Kosrae training local fishermen in gear and techniques for deep-bottom fishing, multiple line trolling, and vertical longlining. Forty-one fishing trips and six survey trips were completed. A total of 1848 kg of fish were caught. Thirty-four trainees participated in training trips at sea and in onshore workshops. The workshops included instruction in construction of FAO designed Samoan handreels (Anon 1985). The project used Japanese aid-given alia-type catamarans made by Yanmar. A total of 75 of these 7.5 m boats were supplied to local fishermen. 2

13 Moana discovered a pinnacle off Utwe in 212 m depth that yielded 80 per cent of the longtail snapper caught during the project. A FAD was deployed on this pinnacle. Unfortunately, only one vertical longline was set during the 1987 visit and it was not recovered (cause of loss unknown). Moana recommended that FADs and FAD fishing techniques, such as vertical longlining and mid-water handlining, be further developed on Kosrae. A FAD programme for Kosrae had been discussed for a number of years, but never been fully implemented. A Japanese aid package in 1991 consisted of enough materials to rig and deploy several FADs. The materials consisted of 200 m coils of 22 mm three-strand polypropylene and 19 mm nylon rope, chain, shackles, swivels, hard plastic FAD rafts, Indian Ocean type FAD rafts, and lighted spar buoys. The Japanese aid package did not include a suitable GPS or echo sounder for FAD site survey work, nor did it include any technical expertise. During 1994 Kosrae sent Fisheries Specialist, Killion Isisaki, to SPC s second Sub-regional FAD Workshop, which was held in Palau, for training in all aspects of FAD construction and deployment. Unfortunately, no FAD work was conducted immediately after this training, as there was no electronic equipment available in Kosrae at the time to survey for suitable FAD locations. SPC paid visits to Kosrae during 1995 and 1996 to begin initial planning for technical assistance in FAD site survey work and FAD rigging and deployment. The materials on hand were examined as well as the fisheries vessel. It was concluded that a suitable echo sounder and GPS were needed to allow site survey work to proceed. Following a request from Kosrae, Japan donated and installed some new electronic equipment on FDD s main vessel, F/V Mutunte. The vessel was also donated by the Japanese government in The electronics package included a GPS, dual frequency echo sounder, and VHF radio. The echo sounder proved to be suitable only for shallow water survey work, however, as it came equipped with 200 khz and 50 khz transducers only, and was relatively low powered (1 kw). Using skills learned at the workshop and the new electronic equipment on board F/V Mutunte, FDD staff were able to conduct several site surveys around Kosrae and were able to deploy two FADs during 1998, one of which was still on station in early This FAD was deployed in about 400 m of water near the westernmost point of Kosrae, Pt Vauvilliers, just offshore of the Walung Channel in Foko Saosa (See Appendix A for survey and FAD site). Because of the limitations of the echo sounder (500 m depth range maximum), Kosrae s FAD programme was limited to relatively shallow water sites. Kosrae continued to seek technical assistance from SPC with their FAD programme, but unfortunately experienced some difficulty in getting an official request submitted through the proper channels. The realisation of a FAD programme did not come about until 1999, when Fisheries Development Advisor, Lindsay Chapman, paid a visit to FSM to plan a FAD programme that would include future assistance. A work programme was established to provide technical assistance with both the conducting of site surveys and FAD construction and deployment, and the introduction of mid-water fishing techniques used in association with FADs. Given that FADs need to mature to attract fish, the project was split into two phases, with the first phase conducted from 10 April to 6 May 2000, and the second phase conducted between 9 September and 7 October Both phases were undertaken by Fisheries Development Officer, Steve Beverly. 3

14 2. FAD SURVEYS: MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES 2.1 Survey vessel and equipment F/V Mutunte (Figure 3) was donated to Kosrae by the Government of Japan in It is a 15 m GRP Yanmar fisheries research and training vessel. It originally was used for poleand-line and longline fishing. At the time of the current project, there was little equipment and no fishing gear on the boat including sea safety equipment. During the 1990s, Japanese aid provided a GPS, an echo sounder with portable transducer mounting, and a VHF radio for safety and communication. Unfortunately, the Japanese-supplied echo sounder was not suited to deep-water FAD survey work. To remedy this, a Furuno GPS with plotter and a JRC echo sounder with portable transducer were shipped to Kosrae from SPC headquarters, and were temporarily mounted on the survey vessel. The portable transducer was mounted into brackets that had been installed by the Japanese (Figure 4). The echo sounder monitor and GPS unit were mounted in the wheelhouse in view of the boat operator. Figure 3: F/V Mutunte Figure 4: Transducer mounted in portable housing 4

15 2.2 Survey technique Surveys were conducted following guidelines in SPC s FAD Manual Vol. III (Gates et al. 1998). Transects were run either north-south or east-west at 0.25 nm intervals (0.250' of latitude or longitude). Depth data were recorded from the echo sounder each time a latitude or longitude line was crossed at the same interval (by watching the GPS closely). In this way, depth data were accumulated for each 0.25 nm interval in every direction throughout the survey zone. Later, these data were plotted on a piece of A3 graph paper used as plotting paper. Each 100 m depth interval was interpolated between soundings and marked on the plot. For instance, in the Okat survey two adjacent depths were 1063 m and 1190 m. The 1100 m interval fell between these but much closer to the 1063 marking. After all the 100 m intervals were marked, they were connected. The resulting lines connected points with the same depth. These lines are called isobaths. Isobaths that are widely spaced indicate gentle slopes or relatively flat bottom. Isobaths that are closely spaced reveal a steep bottom slope, unsuitable for FAD deployments. 3. FAD SURVEY AREAS, BOTTOM CONTOURS, AND FAD SITE SELECTION 3.1 FAD site survey selection The selection of FAD survey zones was based on several factors: historic artisanal fishing grounds, accessibility, shipping lanes (for avoidance, if possible) and likely suitable bottom topography. FDD staff members were consulted to determine where local fishermen were based and where they have spent most of the time searching for fish. There are three marinas in Kosrae where artisanal fishing fleets are based. They are Okat on the west side, Utwe on the south side, and Lelu, where Fisheries Development Division s base is located. Each of the three marinas has a wharf and facilities for freezing fish and supplying ice. The marinas were all donated by the Japanese government and turned over to FDD for operation. Recently, the Government of Kosrae implemented a scheme to provide 25 Yamaha skiffs (19 footers 5.7 m) with outboard motors to qualified fishermen. Most of these boats are based at one of the three marinas. Obviously, a FAD site near one of more of the marinas would be useful. Consultation with FDD staff, who are all keen fishermen and boat owners as well, indicated that the most popular fishing grounds for trolling for skipjack and yellowfin tuna are on the south, southwest, and west sides of the island. During 1996, Seafloor Imaging (Anon 1996) conducted a study to map out the entire bottom topography enclosed by Kosrae s portion of the FSM EEZ (Figure 5). The isobaths encircling the island of Kosrae show a rather steep topography, typical of many single isolated Pacific islands, such as Nauru and Niue (personal observation by the author). The isobaths are concentric and reveal very little detail. However, they do indicate the possible presence of some relatively gentle slopes on the south and west sides in contrast to rather steep bottom on the north and east sides. FDD conducted five site surveys during the last few years and deployed two FADs, one of which was still on station at the time of this project. However, all of their surveys were conducted in water ranging up to only 500 m depth and fairly close to shore. The present programme was looking for areas in deeper water, in the 1000 to 1300 m range, and further offshore. Based on the above information, three survey areas were selected. 5

16 Figure 5: Bottom contours around Kosrae (from Seafloor Imaging) 3.2 The Okat FAD survey and FAD site The first survey site was just to the west of Okat Harbour where the isobaths are farthest apart on the Seafloor Imaging contour drawing. This looked to be the most promising based on topography and was reportedly a good fishing area. In fact, during the site survey work, bird piles and active fishing boats were spotted in the area each day of work. One advantage to this area is that it is close to Okat Harbour, where there is a sizeable artisanal fishing fleet and the busiest fish wholesale/retail centre on Kosrae. The main disadvantage is that Okat Harbour is also the main port of entry for Kosrae so there is some cargo vessel traffic in the area that may interfere with a FAD. In the case of Okat a compromise would have to be made. The survey area chosen was roughly bounded by 05º ' N to 05º ' N and 162º ' E to 162º ' E. A look at the Okat survey (Figure 6) shows that the chosen FAD site is in an area where the isobaths are widely spaced and the depth ranges from 1200 to 1300 m. Furthermore, there is a rise on the offshore side of the FAD site. The chosen FAD site is actually in a saddle between shallower depths and the rise, which is farther offshore. This would give added insurance that the anchor could not slide into deeper water, taking the FAD raft with it. The Okat site was ideal, as far as bottom topography goes. The chosen FAD site was 05º ' N and 162º ' E in 1215 m. 6

17 Figure 6: Okat survey showing FAD site, raft drop position, anchor drop position, and watch circle 3.3 The Utwe FAD survey and FAD site The second survey was conducted on the south side of Kosrae offshore from Utwe Harbour. The bottom topography is similar to that west of Okat, based on reference to Seafloor Imaging s work; and the marina at Utwe is also home to several artisanal fishing boats. More important, however, is the fact that the water near Utwe is considered to be the best fishing area in Kosrae. The survey area chosen was bounded by 05º ' N to 05º ' N and 162º ' E to 162º ' E. The Utwe survey revealed a bottom with some similarities to the Okat zone. There is a rise but it is more like a seamount than a ridge. The FAD site selected is just inshore of this rise (Figure 7) on a saddle that lies in a depth of 1043 m between depths of less than 1000 m on either side. The chosen FAD site was 05º ' N and 162º ' E in 1043 m. Figure 7: Utwe survey showing FAD site, raft drop position, anchor drop position, and watch circle 7

18 3.4 The Lelu FAD site survey and FAD site During the period between deploying the first two FADs and the workshops (May to August 2000) FDD staff, using F/V Mutunte and SPC supplied electronics, completed surveying the remainder of Kosrae Island out to approximately the 1500 m isobath. The third FAD site was chosen from the survey done on the east side of the island. The survey area was bounded by 05º ' N to 05º ' N and 163º ' E to 163º ' E (Figure 8). The northeast area was selected so that a FAD would be within range of the boats that are based at the Lelu marina. The Lelu survey showed a different bottom than those found on the west and south sides of Kosrae. The bottom on the Lelu side of the island is generally steeper than on the Okat or Utwe sides. There was, however, a small area with suitable gradient (Figure 8). The chosen FAD site was 05º ' N and 163º ' E in 941 m. Figure 8: Lelu survey showing FAD site, raft drop position, anchor drop position, and watch circle 4. FAD RIGGING AND DEPLOYMENTS 4.1 The Indian Ocean FAD FDD ordered five partially rigged Indian Ocean type FAD moorings from Cookes in New Zealand. The moorings consisted of 15 m of 22 mm galvanised chain, shackles and a swivel, a plastic thimble, 25 mm 12-strand plaited polypropylene rope, 22 mm 12-strand plaited polyester rope, a plastic thimble, shackles and a swivel. The pre-fabricated moorings were close to the recommended SPC design (Gates et al. 1996), and were made for 1000 m FAD sites. The splices, however, were all lazy man splices (Figure 9), where the whole rope is tucked back into itself several times in alternate directions. In addition to the rigged mooring, Cookes supplied enough purse seine floats, PVC coated 32 mm wire rope, cable clamps, and shackles for rigging the five Indian Ocean style FADs. Unfortunately, since some of the FAD sites were deeper than 1000 m, rope had to be borrowed from one mooring to make up the shortfall. The result was that FDD only had enough material for four Indian Ocean FADs. 8

19 Figure 9: Lazy man splice Some of the material that FDD had on hand from the Japanese aid programme was of better quality than that supplied by Cookes, so changes were made in the moorings. The swivels were replaced by those provided by Japanese aid, and where possible, the shackles were also changed. On the Okat FAD all of the splices were re-done using a different style (Figures 10 and 11). The rope end was tapered and tucked back into the hollow core of the rope, using a fid made of stiff wire. The splices were then cross-sewn with nylon twine. The lazy man splices were left in place on the Lelu FAD, however. A spar buoy with radar reflector and flag (Figure 12) was added to all of the FADs. These buoys were also part of the Japanese aid package. Figure 10: Tapered splice done by FDD staff Figure 11: Finished tapered splice 9

20 Figure 12: Spar buoy with radar reflector and flag Rope lengths for all three of the FADs were determined by referring to SPC's FAD Manual II (Gates et al. 1996, page 37). The manual gives lengths of nylon (sinking) and polypropylene (floating) ropes for site depths ranging from 700 to 2000 m, in 100 m intervals. For the Okat FAD site, the depth was considered to be 1300 m (actually 1215) so the rope lengths used were 395 m of nylon and 1230 m of polypropylene. No supplementary buoyancy is needed at this depth according to the manual. For both the Utwe FAD and the Lelu FAD sites, the depths used were 1200 m (the shallowest depth at which no supplementary buoyancy is needed as no pressure floats were available), even though the actual depths were less than this. The relative lengths of rope for 1200 m are 375 m of nylon and 1125 m of polypropylene. The FAD moorings all consisted of the following components in order from the surface to the bottom: Spar buoy with flag pole and radar reflector, attached by shackles and thimbles to the FAD raft with four metre tether of 22 mm three-strand polypropylene rope; FAD raft consisting of fifty purse seine floats on a 30 m length of 32 mm vinyl coated galvanised steel cable with an eye at each end made with three cable clamps; A connection made up of two shackles and a swivel (all shackles were safety shackles with stainless steel cotter pins); Nylon (floating) rope with an eye splice and a plastic rope thimble on the top end spliced to; Polypropylene (sinking) rope with an eye splice and a plastic rope thimble on the bottom end; A connection made up of two shackles and a swivel (all shackles were safety shackles with stainless steel cotter pins); 15 m of 19 mm galvanised proof-coil chain; and Anchor block of approximately 1000 kg weight. The FAD moorings were loaded onto F/V Mutunte with the raft on the foredeck, the ropes alongside the wheelhouse on the starboard side, and the anchor block on a specially built ramp on the stern. On the first attempt at deploying the Okat FAD, a problem was encountered. The anchor block was not secured properly to the rack and it shifted as the boat rolled (Figure 13). The boat had to return to port so that the anchor could be secured properly. On the second deployment attempt (and all subsequent deployments), Spanish windlass knots were used to secure the anchor to the ramp (Figure 14). No further mishaps were encountered. A Spanish windlass is made by looping a tie-down line around the object to be tied down and a stationary part of the boat, such as a bitt or hard rail. A piece of timber or pipe is then put between the loops of line and turned so that it twists the line until the line pulls tight. The pipe is left in this twisted loop and lashed down until deployment of the anchor. 10

21 Figure 13: Anchor block shifted when boat rolled 4.2 Deployment method Figure 14: Spanish windlass used to secure anchor block The deployment method used was the anchor last, straight line method, as outlined in SPC FAD Manual III (Gates et al. 1998, pages 26 27). The FAD raft is deployed first, at a distance away from the intended anchor drop site that is equal to about 2/3 of the length of the mooring and down current of the site. The boat then steams up current toward the drop site while the rope is paid out over the stern. The boat passes over the FAD site and continues on past the site for a distance equal to about 1/3 of the length of the mooring. Then the anchor is deployed. As the anchor drops it is pulled toward the actual site by the drag of the rope and raft. With luck, it should land near the intended site. For example, during the Lelu FAD deployment the raft was released at 05º ' N and 163º ' E. The boat then steamed east, or up-current, paying line out and passing over the intended FAD site. The anchor was deployed at 05º ' N and 163º ' E, east of the intended FAD site. 11

22 These positions raft drop, intended site, anchor drop are all shown on the relative surveys (Figures 6, 7, and 8). The actual positions of the rafts, after deployment, can be anywhere within a watch circle that is close to one nautical mile in diameter for a 1000 m site (refer to Gates et al. 1998, page 37). The watch circles are also indicated on the surveys. 5. FAD FISHING AND DEEP-BOTTOM FISHING SKILLS WORKSHOPS Two workshops were held at FDD headquarters in Lelu. The first workshop took place over a two-week period and served as both a workshop in fishing gear and techniques and a train the trainers workshop. Nine FDD staff attended this workshop (Appendix B lists all workshop participants). During this time, an inventory was made of all gear on hand, gear was made up, and the FAO wooden handreels were completed and installed on F/V Mutunte. Fishing trials took place during the second week. The second workshop was attended by 14 local artisanal fishermen, and was conducted with the assistance of the FDD staff who had attended the first workshop. The second workshop was more concentrated and lasted only one week. One day was spent making up gear and discussing fishing techniques, and three days were spent fishing. During both of the workshops several vertical longlines were made up, both with tarred polyester rope and with monofilament nylon. The vertical longlines and the palu ahi handlines were made according to directions given in SPC s manual, Vertical longlining and other methods of fishing around fish aggregating devices (FADs) (Preston et al. 1998, pages 25-33). Deep-bottom fishing rigs were made up following directions in SPC s manual, Deep-bottom fishing techniques for the Pacific Islands (Preston et al. 1999). Most of the material for vertical longlines including monofilament, tarred rope, floats, hooks, snaps, bloodline, etc, was on hand and had been part of a Japanese aid programme. Some additional material, such as sleeves, strobe lights, reflective tape, pulley blocks, lead sinkers, tuna circle hooks, triangle swivels, palu bags, etc, were ordered from Hawaii to complete all of the fishing gear. FAO wooden handreels were used for the monofilament vertical longlines and for the deep-bottom fishing rigs. The handreels were made by FDD staff following directions in SPC s Handbook # 25, Notes on the construction of the FAO wooden handreel (Anon 1985). The rope vertical longlines were made by splicing short sections of line (0.5 m) into longer sections (10 m) using a pair of Futaba swivels for each short section. The short sections between the two swivels served as the attachment points for the branchline snaps. A total of 15 of these sections were spliced into each rope vertical longline. Blank 10 m sections were also spliced onto each end of the vertical longlines. The rope vertical longlines were stored in plastic fish baskets. These baskets were also used during fishing operations for setting and retrieving the lines. The monofilament vertical longlines were made by crimping a short section (0.5 m) of three-strand nylon rope between longer sections (10 m) of 2.0 mm monofilament nylon, again using Futaba swivels. The short sections of rope served as the attachment points for the branchline snaps. A total of 15 sections were crimped into each vertical longline. There were blank 10 m sections at each end of the monofilament vertical longlines as well. All connections were made using Flemish eyes in the monofilament. The longlines were stored on the FAO wooden handreels, which were also used for setting and hauling. The branchlines for both types of vertical longlines consisted of four metre lengths of 2.0 mm monofilament line with swivel snaps at one end and a hook at the other end. The snaps were connected to the monofilament by a 0.5 m length of 3.0 mm three-strand polyester line in an eye-to-eye connection. Two types of hooks were used on the branchlines: 3.6 Japan tuna hooks and 15/0 tuna circle hooks. Figure 15 shows workshop trainees making up branchlines. 12

23 Figure 15: workshop trainees making branchlines Floatlines for the vertical longlines consisted of 10 m of 6.4 mm tarred polyester with an eye splice at one end and a swivel snap at the other. Two floatlines could be connected to increase the depth of the hooks, depending on fishing conditions. Floats were 300 mm hard plastic longline floats with swivel snaps attached for easy connection to the floatlines. Flag buoys were made by attaching floats to bamboo flag poles. A flag was sewn onto the top end and a re-bar weight was attached to the bottom end. Reflective tape was applied to all floats so they could be located with a spot light at night, and strobe lights were used on the flag buoys for night fishing. Fishing trials took place at the Utwe FAD and at the Utwe seamount during both of the workshops. All of the vertical longlines were set with the weight first method. That is, the lead weight was let out over the rail with the mainline following. As the line descended, baited branchlines were snapped in place (Figure 16). The bait used for all fishing trials was muro aji (blue mackerel Decapterus sp). After the last branchline was snapped on, a floatline and float were attached and the whole rig was either let go to drift or attached to the FAD buoy. Figure 16: Setting vertical longline from F/V Mutunte 13

24 Fishing was conducted from both a 19 foot (5.7 m) skiff (Figure 17) and F/V Mutunte. On the first day of fishing (fishing day one of workshop one), two rope vertical longlines were set and then suspended from the skiff that was tethered to the FAD buoy. During the soak, which lasted from about 1000 to 1300, the crew of the skiff fished with the palu ahi handlines. No fish were caught during approximately three hours of fishing. Figure 17: Skiff used during workshop fishing trials At the same time two monofilament vertical longlines were set from F/V Mutunte. These lines were set up-current of the FAD so that they would drift past during the soak. The lines were set and retrieved twice. During the soak times, two palu ahi rigs were also tried from F/V Mutunte. One fish was caught an 18 kg yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) on one of the vertical longlines. The depth of the hook with the fish was approximately 140 m. On the second day of fishing (fishing day two of workshop one) two deep-bottom handreels were used to fish for snappers on the seamount that lies just to the south of Utwe Harbour, and along the reef edge in shallower water. The position of this seamount is ' N and ' E. The shallowest spot on the seamount was 213 m. No fish were caught after two hours of fishing. This was not unexpected as fishing took place around noon-time (1100 to 1300), which is generally the least productive time for deep-bottom fishing. The exercise was mainly a demonstration of the gear and techniques for the FDD staff. On Friday of the same week, one of the FDD staff caught two yellowfin tuna (15 kg and 20 kg) at the Utwe FAD from a skiff using a rope vertical longline from the workshop. The fishing effort during the second workshop was similar to the first workshop and took place in the same places: the Utwe FAD and the Utwe seamount. The results, however, were very much different. On the first day of fishing (day one of workshop two) the boats arrived at the FAD at 1100 and fished until Two rope vertical longlines were set from a skiff that was tethered to the FAD buoy. Palu ahi handlines were fished during the soak. Three yellowfin tuna and two rainbow runners (Elagatis bipinnulata) were caught on the two rope vertical longlines. No fish were caught on the palu ahi lines fished from the skiff. At the same time two monofilament vertical longlines were set and retrieved twice from F/V Mutunte. Palu ahi lines were also fished while the vertical longlines soaked. The vertical longlines were set so that they would drift past the FAD buoy. A total of 11 yellowfin tuna and one shark (Carcharhinus sp.) was caught on the monofilament vertical longlines. One yellowfin tuna was caught on a palu ahi line from F/V Mutunte. None of the fish were weighed but it was estimated that the yellowfin averaged about 10 kg and the rainbow runners about 5 kg. The catch was cleaned after each haul of the gear (Figure 18). 14

25 Figure 18: Cleaning the catch from a vertical longline set On the second day of fishing (day two of workshop two), the boats arrived at the Utwe FAD at 1500 and fished until Workshop participants were encouraged to arrive in their own 19-foot skiffs and fish with fishing gear and bait from the workshop. Two yellowfin tuna were caught during this time: one from a rope vertical longline on a skiff tethered to the FAD, and another on a rope vertical longline from a drifting skiff. No fish were caught on the monofilament vertical longlines or from the palu ahi lines. On the third day of fishing (day three of workshop two), three longtail snappers (Etelis coruscans) were caught at the Utwe seamount using the FAO wooden handreels during about two hours of fishing. The fish were all marketable size, about 5 kg (Figure 19). Figure 19: Trainees catch longtail snapper at Utwe seamount 15

26 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 Conclusions The following conclusions were made as a result of the SPC technical assistance project in Kosrae: Potential deep-water (1000 m and deeper) FAD sites around Kosrae are very limited. It is unlikely that there are more than the three sites identified during this project; There may be one or more suitable deep-water FAD sites on or near the seamount that is reportedly located approximately five nautical miles northwest of Kosrae; FADs and FAD fishing could add significantly to the artisanal catch of small tuna on Kosrae; Kosrae s FDD staff are fully capable of conducting FAD surveys, rigging and deploying FADs, and conducting FAD fishing technique workshops; and The main area of weakness in the FAD programme, or in any other fisheries development project in Kosrae, is maintenance of equipment including vessels and safety. There is significant room for improvement in both these areas. 6.2 Recommendations It is recommended that FDD: Deploy more shallow FADs using Japanese donated FAD materials; Purchase some pressure floats for FADs deployed in water shallower than 1200 m; Deploy another FAD at the Okat site (a light should be added to the spare buoy); Deploy another FAD at the Utwe site; Repair rack for anchor blocks on F/V Mutunte and always use Spanish windlass knots to secure anchor blocks; Inform the public, shipping agencies, fishing companies, and all relevant government agencies of all FAD deployments giving location, physical description, and compass bearing and distance from channel; Conduct regular inspection and maintenance visits to FADs; Keep records of all fish caught at FADs; Encourage the use of ice on all artisanal fishing boats; Promote safety at sea safety needs to be made an issue with FDD and with artisanal fishermen national rules need to be complied with and enforced; Upgrade F/V Mutunte (repairs, maintenance, safety equipment) and their other vessels; Purchase a GPS with plotter and a suitable echo sounder for future FAD survey and deployment work; Survey the seamount that reportedly lies five nautical miles to the northwest of Kosrae, and if suitable, deploy a FAD there (reported position is 05º ' N and 162º ' E, 309 m); Conduct more FAD fishing skills workshops; Include in future FAD fishing skills workshops a module for constructing FAOdesigned wooden handreels; and Keep copies of all relevant SPC manuals and instructional video tapes in their library for easy reference by artisanal fishermen. 16

27 7. REFERENCES Anon SPC Handbook No. 25. Notes on the construction of the FAO wooden fishing reel. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 18 p. Anon Satellite bathymetric survey of the maritime zone of the State of Kosrae (Federated States of Micronesia). French Government, Ministry of Foreign affairs. Seafloor Imaging, Inc. Gates, P., P. Cusack and P. Watt SPC Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Manual. Vol. II. Rigging Deep-Water FAD Moorings. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 43 p. Gates, P., G. Preston, and L. Chapman SPC Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Manual. Vol. III. Deploying and Maintaining FAD Systems. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 43 p. Mead, P. and J. Crossland Report on the Deep Sea Fisheries Development Project in Kosrae (17 April 27 May 1979). South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 12 p. Moana, A. and P. Cusack Unpublished Report No. 3. On second visit to Kosrae. 6 June 15 December South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 30 p. Preston, G., L. Chapman and P. Watt Vertical longlining and other methods of fishing around fish aggregating devices (FADs). A manual for fishermen. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. 64 p. Preston, G., P. Mead, L. Chapman, and P. Taumaia Deep-bottom fishing techniques for the Pacific Islands. A manual for fishermen. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia. 82 p. Smith, A Federated States of Micronesia Marine Resources Profile. FFA Report No. 92/17. Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara, Solomon Islands. 91 p. Stanley, D Micronesia handbook: guide to the Caroline, Gilbert, Mariana and Marshall Islands. Moon Publications Incorporated, Chico, California, USA. pp

28

29 FAD site survey conducted by FDD off Walung Channel showing FAD site Appendix A 19

30

31 Appendix B Participants in FAD fishing and deep-bottom fishing skills workshops Staff of the Fisheries Development Division Mac Reflong Maxwell Salik Steve Palik Roland Sigrah Bruno Ned Tony Abraham Brenda Long Semeon Sanne Robert Taulung Local fishermen Henry Noda Kun Arriola Rodney Edmond Andrew Isaac Hanlin Charley Joseph George Christopher Jonah Nena Nakamura Fred Edmond Vicente Taulung Setesin Nena Saelus Kephas Nimos Salik Zackias Mike 21