Climate Change & Fisheries Training

 Priority adaptations to climate change for fisheries and aquaculture in Vanuatu: reducing risks and capitalising on opportunities

Vanuatu Fisheries Department, SPC, AusAID and GIZ

30 and 31 May 2013

Port Vila

Background

Fisheries and aquaculture are vital to the development goals of the Pacific Islands region. Nowhere else in the world do so many countries and territories depend as heavily on the benefits derived from catching or growing fish and shellfish. Industrial fish processing operations and fishing fleets account for a substantial proportion of gross domestic product in several countries and territories. Licence fees from distant water fishing nations also make even more significant contributions to government revenue, especially for small island states. In addition, fisheries and aquaculture provide jobs and other opportunities to earn income

Fish is also a cornerstone of food security in the region. Fish consumption is at least 2–4 times greater than the global average in more than half of all 22 Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). In rural areas, fish often makes up 50–90% of dietary animal protein and most of the fish consumed (60−90%) comes from subsistence fishing.

Fishing for tuna, both within and outside the exclusive economic zone, is an important commercial activity in Vanuatu. National annual per capita consumption of fresh fish is estimated to be about 20 kg per person per year. Almost 50 per cent of surveyed households in Vanuatu derived their first or second source of income from catching or selling fish and the annual coastal fish catch is estimated to be >3,350 tonnes, comprised of >2480 tonnes of finfish and >880 tonnes of invertebrates. Freshwater aquaculture also helps provide fish for the market in Port Vila.

To maintain or improve the important contributions made by fisheries and aquaculture in the face of the many drivers affecting the sector, Pacific Island countries are implementing the plans required to (1) optimise the economic benefits derived from tuna fisheries, (2) provide sufficient fish for the food security for rapidly growing populations, and (3) identify the number of livelihoods that can be sustained from coastal fisheries and aquaculture.

Climate variability and climate change are among these drivers and climate change is expected to progressively increase in significance. SPC has co-ordinated a comprehensive assessment of the vulnerability of tropical Pacific fisheries and aquaculture to climate change[1] to assist PICTs to understand how climate change may affect their plans to maintain or improve the benefits they derive from fisheries and aquaculture. In addition, FAO has produced a global overview of the current scientific knowledge and adaptation and mitigation options for the sector[2].  Recently, SPC and FAO have summarised the priority adaptations to climate change for Pacific fisheries and aquaculture[3].

Vanuatu Fisheries Department and the National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction is organising this workshop to help stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to use this information to identify priority adaptation actions to climate change with the ultimate aim of building resilience and flexibility at the community and enterprise levels.

Objectives of the Workshop

The objectives of the workshop are to provide government departments, non government organisations, communities, enterprises and their development partners with a sound understanding of  (1) the main projected effects of existing climate variability, global warming and carbon dioxide emissions on the ecosystems supporting fisheries and aquaculture; (2) the consequences for current and future production, food security and livelihoods; and (3) the actions required to reduce the risks and capitalise on the opportunities.

An interactive format will allow participants to work closely to:

• understand the direct and indirect effects of climate change and ocean acidification on fisheries production and aquaculture;
• identify the implications of the projected changes to fisheries and aquaculture for economic development, food security and livelihoods; and
• choose and prioritise the adaptations and policies needed to build the resilience of enterprises and communities to the projected threats and to equip them to take advantage of the potential opportunities.

Expected Outputs

Participants will leave the workshop with (1) an increased awareness of climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture in Vanuatu; (2) knowledge of the tools to better understand the vulnerabilities of enterprises and communities to these changes; and (3) clear ideas about the planning and actions needed to assist the sector adapt to climate variability and climate change (including the risk of climate-induced natural disasters).