Training centre

This is the complete 2021 Advanced Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) delivered online to approximately 60 participants in May 2021. The content has been reformatted to allow the course to be self guided. Lectures (as they were delivered) can be watched, and all practical exams taken. Participants who complete the entire self-guided course qualify for a Certificate of Completion.

This is the complete 2021 Introductory Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) delivered online to approximately 70 participants in May 2021. The content has been reformatted to allow the course to be self guided. Lectures (as they were delivered) can be watched, and all practical exams taken. Participants who complete the entire self-guided course qualify for a Certificate of Completion. This is the complete 2021 Introductory Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) delivered online to approximately 70 participants in May 2021. The content has been reformatted to allow the course to be self guided. Lectures (as they were delivered) can be watched, and all practical exams taken. Participants who complete the entire self-guided course qualify for a Certificate of Completion.

An advanced course to train participants in stock assessments and fisheries management of tuna and related stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This was delivered as a hybrid workshop with most participants joining via Zoom (around 54 people), while 8 participants were able to attend in-person where COVID travel restrictions allowed.

An introductory course to train participants in stock assessments and fisheries management of tuna and related stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This was delivered as a virtual workshop using Zoom and Moodle with around 83 participants.

A two-day virtual workshop delivered via zoom to around 60 participants. The purpose was to build on the SAWs conducted earlier in the year while addressing the issues that were occurring in the upcoming WCPFC 19 meeting.

An advanced course to train participants in stock assessments and fisheries management of tuna and related stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This was an entirely in-person workshop held in Noumea with 19 participants.

An introductory course to train participants in stock assessments and fisheries management of tuna and related stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This was an entirely in-person workshop held in Noumea with 21 participants.

Legislative drafting is an asynchronous online course for fisheries policy and legal professionals interested in knowing how to draft regulations, decrees, or other types of legislation on coastal fisheries. No prior knowledge of coastal fisheries or legislation is required. This course covers drafting and analysis techniques, including how to draft clearly and unambiguously, how to organise concepts logically, and how to convert policy proposals into legislation. Course participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of each phase of the course.

The Fisheries Climate Awareness Workshop (CLAW) was designed to enhance knowledge and awareness to SPC member countries and territories on climate issues and projected impacts on the industrial fisheries of the western and central Pacific. Access the resources (presentations, videos and Q&A audio files) here.

An introductory course to train participants in stock assessments and fisheries management of tuna and related stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This was planned as an entirely in-person workshop to be held in Noumea but was switched to a virtual workshop delivered via Zoom to around 66 participants.

Legislative drafting is an asynchronous online course for fisheries policy and legal professionals interested in knowing how to draft regulations, decrees, or other types of legislation on coastal fisheries. No prior knowledge of coastal fisheries or legislation is required. This course covers drafting and analysis techniques, including how to draft clearly and unambiguously, how to organise concepts logically, and how to convert policy proposals into legislation. Course participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of each phase of the course.

This manual is intended for scientists, observers and port samplers collecting stomach, muscle, liver, gonads, otoliths and dorsal spine samples from yellowfin, bigeye, albacore and skipjack tunas and bycatch species in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

Playlist of videos to support biological sampling of lagoon reef fish.

"Animoos poisson mesopelagique" - short information video (in French) about mesopelagic species.

Collection of videos for biological sampling (pelagic and lagoon reef fish) in English and French (reef fish only).

Brochures, posters, and teachers' resource sheet on fish poisoning and ciguatera.

Collection of older videos for training on coastal fisheries areas. 

Although trolling is one of the most common fishing techniques used in the Pacific Islands, not all fishermen are aware that rigging and trolling local baitfish can produce more strikes from fish such as wahoo, Spanish mackerel, mahi mahi, barracuda, tuna and even billfish, than imported artificial lures. This programme, filmed in Fiji, demonstrates the use of natural bait for trolling. with emphasis on rigging the bait, preparing the fishing trip and tips for successful use of this trolling method.

Collection of videos and guides for responsible spearfishing - safety and best practices.

This is the third app in the AMPLE package. The first app, Introduction to Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) explores how HCRs work. If you are unfamiliar with HCRs, you should start there. Before an HCR is adopted and put into operation many candidate HCRs are tested. Their performance is compared using performance indicators (PIs) and the preferred HCR is selected. In this app you will be testing and comparing the performances of multiple HCRs using PIs.

Video playlist which introduces the concept of a harvest strategy for Pacific tuna, explains the process of developing an HS, and demos on how to use related apps for exploring some of the features of the management procedures.

Brochures (English, Nauruan and Pohnpeian); posters (English and Nauruan); video (FADs for family - Nauru).

"Beyond the reef" is a training toolkit on nearshore fishing methods that target more resilient pelagic species and can help move fishing effort away from coastal habitats, thereby reducing pressure on reef resources. This multimedia learning adventure was captured regionally with the passion and talent of William Sokimi, Ian Bertram, Soni Lalavanua, Stephanie Sefeti and Kura Happ, showcasing the transmission of traditional knowledge from fishing experts to eager learners. The toolkit includes a written manual, a series of training videos entitled “Fish and Tips” and a photo exhibition to promote alternative livelihood options to Pacific Island fishing communities.

Contains a manual (EN and FR); 8 videos (anchor system; connecting; deployment; flotation system; mooring line system; what are artisanal FADs; and Guardians of the Pacific S1 Ep12)

Collection of resources for fishing communities such as posters, brochures, infosheets.

Information sheets for fishers, vendors and consumers on safe handling of seafood. Available in English, Tuvaluan, Tetun and Bislama.

This comic book produced by SPC’s Nearshore Fisheries Development and Training Section explains simple techniques that can be used to process fish waste into liquid fish silage, an environmentally friendly fertiliser.

This is the second app in the AMPLE package. The first app, Introduction to harvest control rules (HCRs) explores how HCRs work. If you are unfamiliar with HCRs, you should start there. This app explores how the performance of a proposed HCR can be measured. Particular focus is put on the impact of uncertainty on the performance.

Identification cards for different species

This is the first app in the AMPLE package. It is the best to start if you are unfamiliar with HCRs. This app attempts to introduce the basic ideas behind a Harvest Control Rule (HCR). An HCR is part of a Management Procedure, along with the data collection and estimation method. In this app we only focus on HCRs.

An introduction to harvest strategies with specific reference to the WCPFC harvest strategy approach.

Course to identify: Sea cucumbers; Nauru common species; Vanuatu parrot and rabbit fish; deep bottom species; aquarium fish species; WCS Fiji market species; common coastal food fishes of the Pacific; Fiji market species.

A collection of documents (posters in local languages and a teachers' guide - Kiribati and Samoa)

Leaflet and video on releasing certain fish back into the ocean.

La Direction des Ressources marines (DRM), en tant que service du Pays compétent en matière de gestion durable des pêches notamment de pêche récifo-lagonaire, a souhaité élaborer un cycle de formations et de sensibilisation auprès des comités de gestion des zones de pêche règlementée (ZPR). Pour se faire, une maquette pédagogique a été développée afin de centraliser toutes les informations nécessaires à la formation de ces comités de gestion qui œuvrent pour la durabilité des ressources récifo-lagonaires des lagons du Fenua.

Posters - coastal and offshore marine life in the Pacific Islands. Available in English, French, and Bislama.

Video tutorial on how to use the OLLO (Offline LongLine Observer) Android app developed by SPC for observers monitoring longline vessels operating in the southern albacore fisheries. 

OLLO (Offline LongLine Observer) is an Android app developed by SPC for observers monitoring longline vessels operating in the southern albacore fisheries. It is used on ruggedised tablets and allows observers to record all the data fields required in the SPC/FFA Longline Regional Observer Workbook. Extensively trialled with the New Caledonia observer programme, it is now used in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Tonga, and Cook Islands, and we offer training and support to regional observer programmes interested in implementing OLLO.

Training videos for Pacific Islands regional fisheries observers' training.

This toolkit, available in English and French, contains short awareness videos, training videos, identification cards, posters and information leaflets. it provides a reference point for species identification. This is especially important for the CITES-listed species as well as for other highly exploited species. This toolkit offers guidance to fishing communities and interested parties, such as fisheries extension officers, monitoring, control and surveillance officers, or customs officers, who need to be able to recognise the key species. Where there may be ambiguity in visual identification, as some species can be difficult to distinguish from others both in the live and processed form, explicit visual and audio descriptions aid the user in telling them apart. For example, at a market or at border controls, how could you distinguish the CITES protected species, black teatfish and white teatfish (Holothuria whitmaei and Holothuria fuscogilva) from other species, and from each other?

Online course for Pacific Island regional fisheries observers.

Series of videos showing how to extract samples from tuna for biological analysis.

Practical information for biological samplers at sea and at port. Focus is on tuna species and bycatch species. Pacific Marine Specimen Bank courses cover basic knowledge on the biology of tuna species and bycatch species and the type of samples collected at sea and in port. Procedures on how to collect these samples are described for both port sampling and observation at sea. You will gain skills in identifying the sex of tuna and how to complete an SPC biological sampling form. As well as an SPC course, country specific courses are also available for: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu

Collection of posters detailing fish species for Pacific Island country or territories. 

A manual for processing sea cucumbers into beche-de-mer

Information posters detailing effects of losing mangroves and seagrasses on habitats. Available in English, French, Fijian and Bislama.

This course will drive you through the following topics: 

• What are Geographic Information System (GIS) Projections and Coordinate Reference Systems. 
• First steps with QGIS Base layers for Fisheries

This workshop provides fisheries officers and attendees a working introduction to the R programming language, with an emphasis on the manipulation of large data sets and the production of quality graphics, focusing on fisheries data from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Many of the analyses and outputs will be familiar to officers who participate in the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Scientific Committee (SC) and Annual Meetings.

REEFLEX is the Pacific Law and Policy Database for coastal fisheries and aquaculture, which was developed by SPC with funding from the New Zealand and Australian aid programmes. It features four web tools:

1.  Find Laws & Policies: Search and download over 1000 documents on various topics.

2.  Compare Regulations: Access abridged versions of over 2500 regulatory measures.

3.  Legal Profiles: Browse 23 profiles outlining the legal framework of each country.

4.  Resources: Access publications and training materials.

REEFLEX is educational and regularly updated, but users should verify the latest regulations with national authorities.

Leaflets and posters detailing safety procedures and equipment for small boat fishers, available in French, English, Marquisien, Tahitien and Tuvaluan.

Videos about the SPC tuna tagging programme.

Videos to support use of SPC apps for oceanic fisheries.

Resources on fisheries for teachers in Kiribati, Vanuatu and Cook Islands

This series, called “Fisher’s tales” aims at disseminating informative and educational toolkits amongst coastal communities from the Pacific region. The videos provide information on the habitat, nutrition and behaviour of key marine species, as well as advice on how to use these resources in a sustainable way. The series will be adapted into local languages and disseminated across the 15 beneficiary countries that are part of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) Programme. Funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden, the EUR 45 million PEUMP programme promotes sustainable management and sound ocean governance for food security and economic growth, while addressing climate change resilience and conservation of marine biodiversity. It follows a comprehensive approach, integrating issues related to oceanic fisheries, coastal fisheries, community development, marine conservation and capacity building under one single regional action.

The Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme course covers knowledge on the SPC tagging programme, the type of tags deployed by scientists and what are the procedures involved when a tagged fish is found onboard the fishing vessels. For each tags recovered a specific reward is provided to the finder and to the observers. Recapture information are crucial for stock assessment and this course will provide you all the knowledge necessary to complete an SPC tag recovery form.

Training on the longline e-debriefing module in TUFMAN2.

Video playlist to help TUFMAN2 users fix various data quality errors.

Video tutorials to support the annual catch estimate calculations for the Tuna Data Workshop (TDW).