Project News

Inshore Fisheries Management Division (IFMD) of Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji had proposed a small-scale project on "Non-Finfish Data Collection and Analysis". Upon finalization of the Project Proposal, a team of IFMD and JICA project coordinator visited the Western region from the 11th to 12th of May 2022 to commence the implementation of this project. The project aims to document the value and volume of non-finfish moving through the formal and informal markets in Fiji.

IFMD then visited the Northern Division visit major markets from 29th June to 3rd July 2022. They included the Labasa Municipal Market and Savusavu Municipal Market. The objectives of this trip were the same as of the trip to the Western Division. Preliminary assessments reveal that all non-finfish commodities are sold by weight and data can be collected in future by just recording total weights and corresponding values.

The next step will be to profile markets in the Central Division. After all the targeted markets have been profiled, a market profile report will be developed, and the implementation of non-finfish data collection program will begin by developing a manual for SOPs (Standard of Operation) to conduct non-finfish surveys.

Invertebrates being sorted by a middleman at Lautoka fishermen market

Freshwater mussels (@ Lautoka Market)

Vendor selling prawns in Ba Municipal Market

IFMD team surveying freshwater mussels

Data collection of Roster

Freshwater Mussel (@ Labasa market)

Conch (@ Labasa Market)

Mud Crab (@ Fish shop in Labasa)