Solomons national workshop to support community based management of coastal fisheries concluded in Honiara

The government, non government organisation (NGO) and community participants were urged by Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Hon. Nollen Leni, to work together closely so that the people of Solomon Islands can receive maximum benefits from a sustainably managed fishery.

Minister Leni was speaking at the National Fisheries workshop which highlighted the importance of coastal fisheries for semi-commercial and subsistence use by the bulk of Solomon Islanders. The workshop was convened in Honiara from Tuesday to Friday last week.

Until last year experiences in Community Based Coastal Resources Management have been largely supported by NGOs such as TNC, WWF, FSPI, SIDT, ECANSI, Worldfish, TDA, Tiola, but the Fisheries Department, with support from the SPC, is now committed to greatly increase support for community based fisheries management programmes including the creation of a new Community Based Fisheries Management unit and requests to government for increased funding support.

Participants at the meeting shared the experiences communities around Solomon Islands have had in managing their own coastal resources. A number of these communities are finding increased catches of marine species owing to the management carried out by the communities themselves using traditional tools such as taboos or marine protected areas (MPAs).

Wide ranging agreements have been made in the workshop on meeting national and community objectives through improved collaboration and commitment of government and NGO partners in working together.

The workshop has been organized jointly by the Ministry of Fisheries and the Foundation of the peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI) with funding from the Packard Foundation.