Honiara, 2 July 2010: Nine fisheries and compliance officers from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, this week completed a course on monitoring, control and surveillance of illegal fishing today, following a long tradition of education for Pacific Island fisheries and law enforcement staff. 

The Week 5 Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Component of the National Fisheries Officers’ Surveillance Course closed today in Honiara at the FFA Conference Centre. This is the final week in the 5-week course, the rest of the course being conducted at the Australian Maritime College which celebrates its 30th anniversary this week.

The Course is an annual event funded by the Australian Department of Defence and taught by staff of the Australian Maritime College and the FFA. The course is aimed at developing expertise and capacity of national officers responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing in the region.

At FFA, the officers learnt more about regional and subregional agreements, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the upcoming Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance Strategy, fisheries observer programmes, fisheries compliance issues, the FFA Vessel Monitoring System and surveillance exercises. A total of 168 staff from Pacific Island countries maritime police and fisheries have completed the course from 1995 to 2010.

AMC has a long history with the region in terms of maritime related disciplines, education and trainings; including training Pacific Islands nationals now involved in fisheries management and development, maritime management, navigation, marine engineering and naval architecture.

One of their graduates is the current Director General of FFA, Su’a N. F. Tanielu. He said:
“FFA would like to congratulate Pacific Island students who are awarded their certificates for the National Fisheries Officers’ Surveillance Course today. I remember well my studies at AMC and hope you will use your education to achieve many successes in control of fisheries in your countries. Your graduation today is another step on the long journey FFA has taken with the Australian Maritime College to build capacity and enhancement of skills of Pacific Islanders to control their fisheries. On behalf of all the College’s Pacific Island students and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, let me say thank you and congratulations to the Australian Maritime College for its 30 years of achievements and wish them another successful 30 years to come.”

The course coordinator, Nick Rawlinson, who has been a Lecturer with the AMC for 12 years and worked for the Solomon Islands fisheries department in the 1980’s, thanked everyone for their support and participation in the course and for their congratulations for the AMC’s 30th anniversary.

He said “The course participants have worked hard during the last 5 weeks and I hope that their new skills can be put to effective use on the return to their countries. The FFA has once again been excellent hosts and the course has benefitted greatly from the input of their experienced staff”.

With regards to the Australian Maritime College’s 30th anniversary, Nick added: “I am looking forward to exchanging stories with former students of the AMC, who are resident in Solomon Islands, this weekend, and I encourage them all to stay in touch with AMC by becoming involved in the new alumni organization.”

As the Samoa Tourism Authority continues to promote Samoa as the ideal holiday destination by marketing the nation to the outside world, it also strives to inform the local community of the importance of Samoa being that ideal holiday situation and how they can work together as a nation to achieve such status.

In addition to creating awareness through circulars, press releases, radio programs and workshops to name a few, STA also provide educational presentations for colleges at the senior level.

Last Friday, STA’s Research and Statistics Team presented to some of Amoa College’s senior students a thorough and detailed study highlighting various data pertaining to Samoa’s Tourism figures and statistics.

The presentation is a result of a direct request from Amoa College for information to assist the school’s Year 12 and 13 Accounting/Economics students as they work through a particular Internal Assessment paper based on ‘The contribution of Tourism to the Economic Development of Samoa for the last five years’.

A total of eight Year 12 students and five Year 13 students attended the forum with their Accounting and Economics teachers. The students and teachers alike were given the opportunity to ask related questions further enhancing their knowledge of Tourism and how it features in Samoa’s development.
STA’s R&S Team invites schools to put in formal requests for such forms of educational assistance.

The team also provides over the counter assistance for walk in students requesting help on related matters and has also gone around the country to various schools giving similar presentations at colleges that have put through specific requests such as Amoa College.

STA’s Research & Statistics Team also compiles a Students’ Information Pamphlet which contains current visitors’ arrival figures throughout the year.

Source: STA Newsletter