A SURVEY to determine the stock status of certain key commercial marine species in selected sites around the country will be carried out soon.
Inshore fisheries division staff of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources will conduct the survey to ascertain the population of certain marine species with the view to encourage local people to go into exporting of these marine resources.
This was possible following the procurement of scuba dive gears and other necessary equipment to be used for the survey.
The Inshore Fisheries Division early this week took delivery of the gears from a local company – Advance Technology Ltd.
Deputy director inshore fisheries division Rosalie Masu said the gears came at the time when her division is in the process of organising these important surveys to determine the population of certain marine species.
Targeted harvest sites in the country have already been identified and selected for the survey.
A number of broad-scale and fine-scale survey methods will be utilized to obtain data’s and information’s which are required to understand these resources and their stock status.
She said such information can be used in the development of fisheries management plans, fisheries regulations and also to provide the required non-detrimental finding reports on giant clams and few other marine resources as required by CITES – to uplift the zero trade quota imposed for Solomon Islands.
The ministry through the World Bank’s project Pacific Islands Regional Oceanscape Programe (PROP) is paying for the gears.
Arrangement for the procurement of the gear and equipment started in July and within a month they were delivered to the Ministry of Fisheries headquarters by Advance Technology Ltd.
It took almost two weeks for the gear and equipment to arrive in Honiara and officers from the Ministry will begin the survey once everything is sorted out.
The survey will target mostly the corals, trochus and giant clam species; to provide data on the stock status of these resources.
By Francis Pituvaka
Communication Officer
