One of the small but growing number of women now making their presence felt in the fisheries sector in the region is Solomon Islander Agnes Arahauta.
She was amongst the 22 regional fisheries officers now upskilled in detecting and prosecuting illegal fishing and other related offences.
Agnes is one of a handful of women who play the critical role of monitoring, control and surveillance assistants.
“This month long training has really helped me understand and learn how to do my job better as an fisheries officer back home in the Solomon Islands,” according to Agnes.
She is a Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Assistant with the Forum Fisheries Agency based in Honiara.
“My work at the FFA is to enforce and ensure that there is compliance to all member countries fisheries laws and regulations especially when it comes to the detection, investigating and prosecution of offending vessels in our waters,” she says.
Acknowledging that the fisheries sector remains a largely male dominated area, she is also well aware of the challenges that come with her job.
“Its also good to know that I’m one of the very few but growing number of women now seriously taking up this type of challenging work in the fisheries sector which up until now is largely dominated by mostly men,” the FFA enforcement officer says.
SUVA, (FIJI TV)
