News

Two officers from the Oceanic Fisheries Division conducted a two-day training workshop on Tamana Island from 5–6 January. Key participants included the Mayor, Vice Mayor, Island Council Clerk, Fisheries Assistant, Agricultural Assistant, a Police Officer, an Environment Officer, and the Chairman of the Tamana Fishing Association.

The workshop was organized in response to previous reports from Tamana regarding fishing vessels operating too close to shore. Its primary goal was to raise awareness of the Division’s mandate in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It also aimed to equip the local community with practical tools to support the effective management of fisheries and marine resources.

Participants gained a better understanding of different fishing gear types by learning to identify key features, characteristics, and operational methods. A significant focus of the training was on correctly recording essential vessel information, such as the vessel name, call sign, and other identifying markings.

Acknowledgement to the NZ Tobwaan Waara project for funding this activity.

Four officers from MFOR, within the Seafood Toxicology Laboratory Division, successfully completed a four-month capability development training at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, New Zealand, from 7 August to 12 December 2025. The training provided hands-on experience in laboratory practices aligned with ISO/IEC 17025 standards, equipment calibration and maintenance, and the testing of chemical and microbial contaminants in water and food products, with a primary focus on seafood. During the training, the team also visited the Aquaculture Park, participated in the co-design of the container laboratory, and contributed to the co-development of the laboratory equipment list.

The knowledge and skills gained through the training will be applied to initiate laboratory operations. The training initiative is expected to integrate standardised procedures into daily workflows, implementing standard operating procedures, conducting in-house staff training, and carrying out local testing. These efforts aim to generate reliable data to support timely public health decisions, enhance national market access, and improve food safety. The Ministry expressed its sincere gratitude to the World Bank, through PROP, for their generous financial support of the training.