Environmental non government organisations and civil society groups in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea are being kept informed about key issues on fisheries in their respective countries so they can help with regional efforts towards conservation.
The World Wide Fund for Nature is facilitating regional workshops, with the support of donors and the Forum Fisheries Agency, covering issues including the importance of maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, the current status of oceanic fisheries, particularly in tuna species like big eye and yellow fin tuna at risk of overfishing, and the economics of fishing.
WWF South Pacific Fisheries officer Seremaia Tuqiri says the aim is to create more awareness of fisheries management issues to everyone in the community.
"They do get to know more about fisheries biology, about fisheries management issues, the conservation issues, understanding about ecosystems and begin to take that step of becoming more active nationally to work with other partners and also fisheries departments in trying to come up with improved policies on fisheries management in countries."
WWF South Pacific Fisheries officer Seremaia Tuqiri says more workshops in other countries are also being planned.
The workshop on Oceania Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries is being held in Honiara for two days, before moving on to Port Moresby on Thursday.
