RAPIDAQUARIUMFISHSTOCKASSESSMENTANDEVALUATIONOFINDUSTRYBESTPRACTICESINKOSRAE,

FEDERATEDSTATESOFMICRONESIAPreparedbythe

SecretariatofthePacificCommunity(SPC)

ColetteWabnitz

FisheriesOfficer(Aquariumtrade),SPC

TonyNahacky

Independentconsultant

September2014

 

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TABLEOFCONTENTS

Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................................................3

ExecutiveSummary.........................................................................................................................................................................4

ListofAcronyms...............................................................................................................................................................................5

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................6

RapidAssessmentofMarineAquariumFishResources..................................................................................................6

2007surveys.................................................................................................................................................................................6

2013surveys.................................................................................................................................................................................7

Commercialsurveys..............................................................................................................................................................7

MainFindings.....................................................................................................................................................................................8

2013surveys.................................................................................................................................................................................9

Aquariumfishspeciesnotrecordedin2007...........................................................................................................10

Aquariumfishspecieswiththemajorityoftheirpopulationfoundatdepth<10mor>10m............11

Otherspecies.........................................................................................................................................................................14

Commercialsurveyfindings................................................................................................................................................16

ReviewofMMMEactivities.......................................................................................................................................................17

System...........................................................................................................................................................................................18

Fishspeciesandquality.........................................................................................................................................................18

Mortality.......................................................................................................................................................................................19

Divesafety...................................................................................................................................................................................19

Collectionpracticesandhandlingskills..........................................................................................................................19

SummaryofrecommendationstoMMME......................................................................................................................20

RecommendationsforKosraeGovernment.......................................................................................................................21

References........................................................................................................................................................................................22

 

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTSTheauthorsaregratefultotheemployeesofMicronesiaManagement&MarketingEnterprises(MMME),inparticularMartinSelch,forallowingustoworkwithhisemployees,grantingusopenaccesstohisfacility,andpatienceinansweringourquestions.WewouldalsoliketothankstafffromtheKosraeDepartmentofResourcesandEconomicAffairs(DREA)andKosraeIslandResourceManagementAuthority(KIRMA)forlogisticalsupportandassistanceinthefield.

Theinformationcontainedhereiniscopyright.NopartofitmaybereproducedwithoutpriorwrittenpermissionofSPC.

ThisstudywasmadepossiblewiththefinancialassistanceofAusAID.TheviewsexpressedhereinarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotreflecttheofficialopinionofAusAID.

Inasfarasanyreferenceinthisreportisormaybetakentobeforpotentialcommercialreturnsuponaninvestmentinanyexisting,contemplatedorfutureproject,noresponsibilityisundertakentoanyperson,includingSPC.

 

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EXECUTIVESUMMARYKosraehasasmallmarineaquariumfisherythatstartedin2005byfocusingonculturedclams,expandedtocoralsin2007,andthecollectionofaquariumfishin2011.ThismarineaquariumfisherycontributestotheeconomyandprovidesincomeandlivelihoodstoanumberofresidentsinKosrae.Thecurrentlyestablishedbusiness,MicronesiaManagement&MarketingEnterprises(MMME),iswell‐knownandrespectedforthequalityofitsfishandothermarineproductsintheUSA,Asia,andE.U.ThemainobjectiveofthisstudywastoconductarapidassessmentofthesustainabilityoftheaquariumtradefisheryoutofKosrae,by:

1. ConductingunderwatercommercialsurveysofmarineaquariumfishresourcesaroundKosraetoupdateandcomplementsurveysconductedbySPCin2007;and

2. Reviewingandevaluatingthefishery’sactivitiesagainstrecommendedindustrybestpractices.Basedonanassessmentofoperations,thefisheryappearstobesustainableatcurrentexportlevels.Foranumberofspeciesfoundathighabundancesinthefield,exportquantitiescouldbeincreasedwithoutconcernsforsustainabilityifamarketcouldbefoundforthem.Recommendationstoensurethefisheryremainssustainableoverthelongterminclude:

‐ Regularmonitoringofcollectionand/orexportdata;‐ Encouragethebestpracticeofnotcollectingcorallivorespecies,whichconstituteonlyasmall

fractionofcurrentexportsandthatsufferfrompoorsurvivalratesinaquaria1;‐ Giventhesizeoftheisland,abilitytoaccesscollectionsitesbasedonweatherpatternsand

availablestock,limitedfreightavailabilityandflightsoutofKosrae,cappingthenumberofexportersatone(i.e.,additionaloperatorswouldincreasefishingpressureonthesamereefscurrentlyutilized).ShouldopportunitiestoexpandtheaquariumfisherybesoughtinFSM,itisrecommendedforoperatorstosetuponotherislands,buildingonthequalityandreputationestablishedinKosrae;and

‐ Conductspecies‐specificsurveysfortargetCirrhilabrusspecies.Itisworthytonotethatduringourstayontheislandamassbleachingeventwasunderwayaffectingaverylargenumberofcoralsofallforms(i.e.,braching,massive,tubular),sometimesdowntodepthbelow30m,andthemajorityofseaanemones.

                                                            1Thisrecommendation(banonimportofobligatecorallivores)wasimplementedimmediately

 

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LISTOFACRONYMS

DOA DeadonArrivalDREA DepartmentofResourcesandEconomicAffairsD‐UVC Distancebased UnderwaterVisualCensusKIRMA KosraeIslandResourceManagementAuthorityMMME MicronesiaManagement&MarketingEnterprisesPIC PacificIslandCountrySPC SecretariatofthePacificCommunity

 

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INTRODUCTIONAmarineaquariumexportcompany,MicronesiaManagementandMarketingEnterprises(MMME),hasbeenoperationalinKosraesince2005.Initially,activitiesfocusedontheproductionandrearingofgiantclams(TridacnamaximaandTridacnaderasamainly)forliveexport,expandingintothecultureofcoralsviatheestablishmentof3coralfarmsinUtwe,Tafunsak,&Leluin2007.SubsequenttoinitialsurveyworkformarineaquariumfishconductedbySPCin2007,whichconcludedthatresourceswereavailabletosupportasmallfishery,MMMEbroadeneditsactivitiestothecollectionandexportoflivemarineaquariumfishin2011.WorkconductedbySPCatthetimeofthesurveywascarriedoutincollaborationwithrelevantlocalauthoritiesandprovidedtheopportunitytotraingovernmentemployeesinunderwaterfishsurveyingtechniques(Yeeting&Palik2008).MMMEcurrentlyemploysatotalof19staff.ThemainobjectiveofthisstudywastoconductarapidassessmentofthesustainabilityoftheaquariumtradefisheryoutofKosrae.Specifically,activitiesinvolved:

3. ConductingunderwatercommercialsurveysofmarineaquariumfishresourcesaroundKosrae2toupdateandcomplementsurveysconductedbySPCin2007;and

4. ReviewingandevaluatingallactivitiesagainstrecommendedindustrybestpracticesbyMMMEfromthepointofcollectiontoexport.

MMMEstillexportsclamsandfarmedcorals.Discussionswhileonlocationalsoincludedanexchangeofinformationpertainingtoactivitiestiedtotheaquacultureportionofthecompany.However,thisreportshallonlydiscussactivitiesrelevanttothefishcomponentofthemarineaquariumfisheryoperatingoutofKosrae.Allfieldworkwasundertakenbetweenthe28Octoberand16November2013.

RAPIDASSESSMENTOFMARINEAQUARIUMFISHRESOURCES

2007surveysTheoriginalKosraeSPCsurveys(Yeeting&Palik2008)3undertakenin2007incollaborationwiththeKosraeIslandResourceManagementAuthority(KIRMA)andtheDepartmentofResourcesandEconomicAffairs(DREA)wereconductedtoestablishabaselinepriortotheestablishmentofanycommercialcollectionorexportofaquariumfish.Surveysweredoneusingthedistancesamplingunderwatervisualsurveymethod(d‐UVC)4andsurveyorsrecordedatotalof153speciesbelongingto16familiesofinteresttothemarineaquariumtrade.Thereportconcludedthatmostspeciesobservedareconsideredlowvalue,andarecommonlyfoundinotherPacificIslandCountries(PICs).However,althoughlow‐valued,anumberofspecieswereconsideredrelativelypopular(e.g.,Centropygeloricula,Centropygevrolikii,Pseudanthiasdispar,Pseudanthiaspascalus)andthusweredeemedtobepresentaroundKosraeinsufficientnumberstosupporttheestablishmentofasmall,sustainableindustry,providedanadequatemanagementframeworkaccompaniedsuchdevelopment.

                                                            2TheoriginalworkplanalsoincludedtraditionaltransectsurveysconductedbyKIRMAalongsideourcommercialsurveys.However,althoughstaffdidperformthesurveys,datawerenotprovided,thusnotavailableforanalysis,andcouldnotbeincludedaspartofthisreport.3Notethatitiscurrentlystillindraftform.4Thedistance‐samplingunderwatervisualcensus(D‐UVC)method(KulbickiandSarramegna1999,Kulbickietal.2000)consistsofafishcensustechniqueconductedalongatransectline,whereadiverrecordsfishbyspeciesname,abundance,bodylengthanddistancetotransectline.Mathematicalmodelsarethenusedtoestimatefishdensity(numberoffishperunitarea)andbiomass(weightoffishperunitarea)fromthecounts.ThemethodisfullydescribedinLabrosseetal.(2002).

 

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2013surveysInreviewingcollectionandexportdatakindlysuppliedtousforassessmentpurposesbyMMME,itwasfoundthatanumberoffishspeciescollectedandshippedweeklyhadnotbeenrecordedaspartoftheoriginalSPCsurveys.Thereforeourfirstundertakingwastodeterminewhythereappearedtobeaviableexportofspeciesthatwerenotrecordedintheoriginalsurveys.Threedayswerespentobservingcollectorsforbestpractice.Thisalsoallowedforobservationofdifferencesinhabitat,reefprofileandrugosityatanumberofdifferentcollectionssitestoascertainpossiblereasonsforthedifference.Anadditionalfourdayswerespentdiving

independentlyfromthecollectorsatanumberofsitesdistributedoveraswideanareaandthuscoveringasmuchofthecircumferenceoftheislandaspossible(Figure1),giventimeandweatherconstraints.Informationrecordedduringthesedivesincludedgeneralhabitatstructure;reefprofile;generalqualitativeabundancedataforthemajorityoftargetedspeciesfortheaquariumtrade;andquantitativedataforsomekeyspecies5.

CommercialsurveysForthepurposeofthisreport,commercialsurveysaredefinedasdiveassessmentsconductedwithinthedepthrangefromwhichornamentalspeciesaretypicallysafelycollected(0‐40m)andduringwhichallspeciesofpotentialinterestforthemarineaquariumtradearerecordedandplacedinoneofthreecategories:

1. Speciesoftargetablesizeandhighabundance–thesespeciestypicallyconstitutethemaintargetspecies;

2. Specieswithsomemarketvalue,butnotcommerciallyviabletoexportontheirown(astheyareinsufficientabundancetocollectincidentallyandexportortheyarenotviabletoexportduetofreightexpense)–suchspecieswouldnotbetargetedpersebutwouldbecollectedifencounteredduringadive;

3. Specieswithloworvirtuallynomarketvalue(thusnotviabletoexport)–individualsobservedonthereefaretypicallyobservedattoolargeasizeorattoolowabundancesforexample.

Marineaquariumtradecommercialsurveysaretypicallyundertakentodeterminetheviabilityofstartingabusiness.Inthiscasethebusinesswasalreadyoperatingviablyandhaddeterminedwhichspecieswereeconomicallyworthtargetingandwhichwerenot.Marketdemandhadalreadybeen                                                            5Themethodusedconsistedoftimed‐swims,whereadiverswimmingataconstant“standardised”speedrecordsthenumberoffishobservedeithersideofhimoveraspecifiedestimateddistance(e.g.,2m–foratotalof4mwidth)forasetperiodoftime.

Figure1–SurveypointsaroundKosrae.Areassurveyedarecolourcoded(i.e.,surveyswereconductedbetweentwopointsofthesamecolour;withexceptionofthebrightpinkandorangepointsinthenorthwestandnorthrespectively,whereentryandexitwereatthesamelocationandthesurveywasconductedaroundthatgeneralarea) 

 

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determined.Therefore,thecommercialsurveywasadaptedforthesituationofevaluatinganalreadyoperatingbusinessasfollows:

1. Speciesoftargetablesizeandhighabundance–Wasthefisherybasedonthesefishanddidthesespeciesconstitutethemaintargetspecies

2. Specieswithsomemarketvalue,butnotcommerciallyviabletoexportontheirown–Whatwastherelianceonfishthatwereinsufficientabundancetocollectincidentallyandexport.

3. Specieswithloworvirtuallynomarketvalue(thusnotviabletoexport)–Wereindividualsobservedonthereefthataretoolargeasize,ortoolowabundance,ornotdemandedbythetradeduetolongevityissuesbeingcollected.

Notethatalthoughthecategorieshighlightedaboveformtheintegralpartofcommercialsurveysirrespectiveoflocation,theactualspecieslistedunderthesethreecategorieswillvaryfromoneplacetoanother.Factorsaffectingclassificationinclude,butarenotlimitedto,freightrates,localabundances,observedsizes,habitatcharacteristicsetc…Thecurrentworkdidnotattempttorepeatthe2007surveys,butinsteadfocusedonspeciesofinteresttotheexistingexporteronisland,specificallyconcentratingonthosetargetspeciesthatmakethebulkofexports(30species‐seeAppendixI).

MAINFINDINGSAftersevendaysofdiving,weconcludethatthed‐UVCsurveymaynotbethebestsuitedmethodforconductingstockassessmentsofmarineaquariumfishspecies.The2007SPCsurveysfocusedon50mlongtransectsat10mdepthusingd‐UVCtechniques.Inobservingthecollectorswefoundthat,foranumberofspecies,themainhabitattargetedwaseitherinlessthan10mofwateroratdepthsgreaterthan10m.Althoughthedistance‐basedsamplingmethodtheoreticallyallowsforfishinlessthanandgreaterthan10mwaterdepthtoberecorded,mostspeciestargetedfortheaquariumtradearesmallinsize,crypticorkeepclosetothesubstrate,havecolourvariationsthatcaneasilyleadtomisidentificationifnotobservedatcloseenoughrange,andthuswouldeasilybemissedorunderestimated.Rugosehabitat(i.e.,areefframeworkwithlotsofreliefthereforeprovidingamplehidingspacesforfish)complicatesmattersevenfurther.TherewerenoCirripectusstigmaticusrecordedinthe2007surveys(andwedidnotfindanyCirripectusstigmaticusat10meterswhenundertakingtimed‐swimsorevaluatingcollectorsatthatdepth).Wedidrecordthefishduringtimed‐swimsatdepthslessthan10metersandalsowhenevaluatingthediverscollectingthem,whichweobservedwasalwaysatdepthslessthan10meters(seeTable1‐).

Table1‐EstimatesofCirripectusstigmaticusdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

CirripectesstigmaticusDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2)8Nov 8 5 2 3.528Nov 5 5 5 8.808Nov 5 5 12 21.11 Total Total Average 15 19 8.36

Lookinginwaterdeeperthan10metersweencounteredthesameissue.Forexample,the2007reportdoesnotmentionasingleobservationofHalichoeresmelaspomus.Wedidnotseeasinglespecimenat10metersnordidweobserveanycollectedatthatdepth,butweobservedthemfrequentlyat30metersordeeper(seeTable2).

 

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Table2‐EstimatesofHalichoeresmelaspomusdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

HalichoeresmelaspomusDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2)8Nov 35 10 5 6.608Nov 35 13 6 6.09 Total Total Average 23 11 6.34

Thisissuealsoaffectsspeciesassessmentsforwhichthemajorityofapopulation’sindividualsresideatdepthsoflessthan,ormorethan,10meters.Inotherwords,thefishmayberarein10metersbutrelativelycommonin5metersofwater(e.g.Macropharyngodonmeleagris,seeTable3)orrelativelycommonatgreaterdepths.

Table3‐EstimatesofMacropharyngodonmeleagrisdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted2meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

Macropharyngodon meleagrisDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2) (2008)8Nov 7 30 19 8.36  8 Nov 5 5 2 5.28  8 Nov 5 5 3 7.92  9Nov 8 5 8 21.11  Total Total Average 45 32 10.67 0.308

Insummary,somelimitationstothed‐UVCmethodutilisedinthecontextofsurveyingmarineaquariumfishinclude:

‐ Somespeciesthatarebeingtradedarecollectedfromwatersdeeperthancanbeadequatelysurveyedusingd‐UVCat10metersdepthandwerenotsurveyedin2007(e.g.,Centropygemulticolor;Halichoeresmelamospomus)–ornotadequatelyforthepurposesofanassessmentofstockfortrade;

‐ Somespeciesthatarebeingtradedarecollectedfromwatersshallowerthancanbeadequatelysurveyedusingd‐UVCat10metersdepthandwerenotadequatelysurveyed,mostlybecauseofhabitatstructureandcompositionandspeciesbehaviour,makingitdifficulttoaccuratelycountthesespeciesaspartofad‐UVC(e.g.,Macropharyngodonmeleagris;)

‐ Reefhabitatwhereflatpavementandorsandsubstrateisinterspersedwithhighcoralheadslimitsthesurveyor’sabilitytoseeoradequatelyidentifysmallmarineaquariumfishfurtherthanafewmetersaway;and

‐ Thehighlycrypticandskittishnatureofanumberofspeciessurveyed(e.g.,Centropygeloricula,Centropygeflavissma,Cirripectessp.)maketraditionalmonitoringtechniquesthatrequirelayingdownatransecttapeinappropriate,asthefishwillbescaredintotheirrefugeandnotcomeoutwhenconductingfishcounts(althoughpresent),leadingtounderestimatesofstockavailable.

Surveysformarineaquariumfishregardlessofmethodusedmustbeconductedwithanarrowfieldofvision.Thisisbecausethevastmajorityofmarineaquariumfish,ascomparedtomostfoodfish,cannotbeseenfromadistanceduetotheirsmallsize,thefactthattheystayclosetothebottom,andthattheyfrequentlyhidewhendisturbedfromactivitiessuchassurveying.Therefore,regardlessofthetypesurveyundertaken,itshouldconcentrateonarelativelynarrowbandofhabitat(typically2‐4meitherside).

2013surveysSurveysfocusedonatotalof30fishspeciesthat,basedoncommunicationswiththeexporter,constitutethebulkofthetrade(AppendixI).Inthesectionsbelowwesummariseourobservationsfor(i)speciesthatwerecordedonoursurveys,butasindicatedabovewerenotincludedinYeeting&Palik

 

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(2008);(ii)speciesforwhichthemajorityofthepopulationwouldbeexpectedtobefoundatdepthsinferiorto10metersorsuperiorto30meters;and(iii)otherspeciesthatwefeltwarranteddiscussion.Whererelevantandappropriate,wepresentspeciesdensityestimatesonreefsaroundKosraeasderivedfromoursurveysandcomparethesetothosereportedbyYeeting&Palik(2008).Basedondensityestimatesandthesurfaceareaofreef(orhabitat)available,oneisabletocalculatetotalstockforagivenspecies.Inanumberofinstances,inthesectionsbelow,wemakereferencetothe“low10%quotaestimate”andthe“10%quotaestimate”.Theformermakesreferencetothe10%ofthelower95%confidencelimitofthestockestimatearrivedatbyYeetingandPalik(2008)(seeAppendixII),andwhichisproposedassustainableharvestablestocksize.Wherethisvalueisnotprovidedwemakereferencetothe“10%quotaestimate”instead.

Aquariumfishspeciesnotrecordedin2007

FamilyBlenniidaeCirripectesvariolosusEcseniusopsifrontalisCirripectesstigmaticus

Thesespecieswerefoundtoinhabitdepthsoflessthan10meters.Thesewaterdepthswerecharacterisedbyhabitattendedtobehighlyrugose,limitingthesurveyor’sabilitytosee,oradequatelyidentify,smallmarineaquariumfishfurtherthanafewmetersaway.Thesetworeasonscombinedmayexplainwhythesespeciesaremissingintheoriginalsurveys.Thesespecieswerefoundatthesamedepths(<10meters)onallfivedayswelookedforthem,indicatingthattheyarefairlybroadlydistributedaroundKosrae.Individualspecies’abundancevarieddependingonlocation.

Threesetsoftimed‐swimsundertakenforCirripectesstigmaticusshowedthatthisspeciesisrelativelycommononthereef.Undertakingmoredetailedsurveysforeachspecieswouldbeusefultodeterminestockestimatesbutwerecommenditasalowprioritybasedondata(Table1)andthefactthattheywereateverysitewelookedforthem.

FamilyLabridaeCirrhilabruskatherinaeCirrhilabrusluteovittatusHalichoeresmelasmopomus

CollectorsdidnottargetthetwospeciesofCirrhilabrusondivesweconductedwiththemtoevaluate“BestPractice”andourattempttovisitoneofthecollectingareashadtobeabandonedduetotideissues.Thesespecieswerenotrecordedinthe2007surveys,norwereweabletolocatethem.Targetedsurveysshouldbeconductedforthesetwospeciesastheyappeartohaveveryspecificandlimitedhabitat–MMME’shelpshouldbeenlistedindeterminingthesiteswherethefishcanbefound.Thisspecieswasonlyseenondivesin30+metersofwaterevenwhennotsurveyingforthem.SeeTable2forresultsoftwotimed‐swimsundertakenforthisspecies.

FamilySerranidaePseudanthiasbartlettorum

Thisspecieswasfoundinschoolsnumberinginthehundredsatspecificsites;alwaysindepthsexceeding10meters.Althoughwhenfounditwasrecordedingreatnumbers,givenitssitespecificity,overallnumbersforKosraemaybemoderate.Extrapolatingoverallnumbersfromspotchecksonly,islikelytoresultinanincorrectstockassessment.Toobtainaccurateabundanceestimatesforthisspecies,theuseofanunderwaterscootertofindthesitesatwhichthisspeciesispresentathighdensitycouldbeveryuseful.ShouldsurveysbeundertakentodeterminestandingstockforthisspeciesitissuggestedthatanassessmentforPseudanthiasdisparbecompletedatthesametime.

FamilyPomacentridae

 

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Chromisvanderbilti

Thisspecieswasfoundinlargeschoolssodensewithfishitwasdifficulttoevenestimateapproximateabundance.Itissuspectedthatthesewereinadvertentlyrecordedin2007asChromisacares,aspeciesverysimilarinappearanceandalsohighlyabundantinlargeschools.Giventhisspecies’highabundancealongmostofKosrae’souterreefadetailedstockassessmentisnotconsideredapriorityatthistime.

Aquariumfishspecieswiththemajorityoftheirpopulationfoundatdepth<10mor>10m

FamilyLabridaeMacropharyngodonmeleagris

Thisspecieswasnotrecordedfrequentlyduringthe2007surveys.Our surveys seem to indicate that themain population appears to live in theshallows, in less than 10 meters of water. We observed individuals of thisspeciesoneverydivedayovertheperiodoftimespentindepthsoflessthan10meters.While abundancevaried from location to location the specieswasnotfoundtobesite‐specific.

Four timed‐swims were undertaken in 5‐8meters of water, for a total of 32specimens seen in 32 minutes of swimming (see Table 3). Based on thisinformation, density of this species was calculated at thirty four times thenumberofindividualsper1000m2listedinYeeting&Palik(2008)(seeTable3).Although future surveys couldbe conducted forMacropharyngodonmeleagris,given that thisspecies iscollected in lowquantitiesandourdata indicate it ispresent on the reef at reasonable high levels, our recommendation is thatsurveysforthisspeciesbeconsidereda lowpriority. Insteadweadvocatethatsustainabilityofthetradebemonitoredviacollection/exportdata.

Althoughwedidcountfishovertheappropriatehabitat,thesurveysmaynotbeextensiveenoughintermsofoverallsurfaceareacoveredcomparedtototalhabitatareaaroundtheislandtobeconsideredcomprehensive.Theyonlyservetoindicatethatthepopulationismuchlargerthanoriginallythought.Therefore,ifcollectiondataaretobecomparedtoquotarecommendationsbasedontheoriginal2007stockestimates,quotanumbersshouldbemodifiedtoaccountforthefactthattransectswerenotconductedwherethemainpopulationresides.Aroughadjustmentrecommendationwouldbetomultiplytheoriginalharvestablestockestimateby20%oftheratiobetweenourestimateddensityper1,000m2andthatlistedinYeeting&Palik(2008)toobtainthenewrecommendedharvestablequota.Forexample,therecommendedannualquota6forthisspecieswassetat104(Yeeting&Palik2008).However,werecordedadensityforthisspecies~35timesgreaterthanoriginalsurveysshowed.

Toderivethenewannualharvestablequotaonewouldmultiplythedensityfactor(34.63)by20%,timestheoriginalrecommendedquota.Theresult,720individuals,wouldprovideanexceptionallyconservativefigure.Ifannualexportsinthefutureweretoexceedthisnumber,thenmoreextensivesurveysin5‐8metersofwatertoaccuratelyestablishthestockmayneedtobeundertaken.

Pseudocheilinushexataenia Thisspecieswasnotrecordedfrequentlyduringthe2007surveys.Our surveys showed high abundance of this species, and seven timed‐swimswereundertakentogetaroughestimatesofstocksize.

                                                            6Low10%quotaestimate

 

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Fishwereobservedonalldiveswhethersurveyingorevaluating“BestPractice”.Thereforethespecieswasnotconsideredsite‐specific.Wecountedatotalof66individuals in60minutes(seeTable4)duringtimedsurveys;adensity~177times that recorded in the original report. The significant difference is likelyattributabletothefactthatalthoughfoundin10metersofwaterthisspeciesishighly cryptic and has a skittish nature, so traditional monitoring techniquesthatincludelayingdownatransecttapeandcountingfishfromadistancemaynotbeappropriate.

Although future surveys could be conducted for Pseudochelinus hexataenia,given that thisspecies iscollected in lowquantitiesandourdata indicate it ispresentonthereefathigh levels,ourrecommendation is thatsurveys forthisspeciesbeconsideredalowpriority.Insteadweadvocatethatsustainabilityofthetradebemonitoredviacollection/exportdata.

WesuggestthesameconservativeapproachasoutlinedforMacropharynogodonmeleagrisbeutilizedtoadjusttheoriginallyproposednumberoffishconsideredas“harvestablestock”.Inthiscasethenewannualquotawouldbe2,234.Ifannualexportsinthefutureweretoexceedthisnumber,thenmoreextensivesurveystoaccuratelyestablishstocksizemayneedtobeundertaken.Surveyswouldneedtofocussolelyonthisspecies(i.e.,notbecombinedwithjointsurveysofothertargetspecies)becauseofitscrypticnature.

Table4‐EstimatesofPseudocheilinushexataeniadensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

PseudocheilinushexataeniaDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)

(2008)8Nov 7 30 14 4.10 8Nov 10 5 10 17.59 8Nov 8 5 10 17.59 8Nov 5 5 2 3.52 8Nov 5 5 2 3.52 8Nov 10 5 18 31.67 9Nov 8 5 10 17.59 Total Total Average 60 66 13.66 0.077

FamilyPomacanthidaeCentropygemulticolor

Centropygemulticolorwasobservedonalldivesat≥30metersdepthbyatleastone of the survey team members. A technique in spotting this species wasutilizedbyonememberof the survey team,highlighting thevariability that isinherentinsurveysofmarineaquariumspeciesgiventheiroftencrypticnature.Averynarrowfieldoffocus(2meitherside)wasrequiredtospotthisfish.Anaccurate stock assessment for this species could not be undertaken in 2007given that transectswere conducted at 10meter depth and the fact that thisspecies only occurs in deeper waters and is highly cryptic in nature.Consequently,basedon this report’s surveys,weconclude that thepopulationforthisspeciesisconsiderablylargerthanreportedin2008.

Conductingspecies‐specificsurveyswillbedifficultduetoitscryptichabits,andlackoftimeasurveyorcanspenddivingsafelyatthespecies’preferredhabitatdepth.Thisspecieshasawidegeographicrangeextending fromthesoutheastPacificthroughtothenorthernwesternPacific,sothereisnocompellingreason

 

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Pygoplitesdiacanthus

totaketherisksinvolvedinconductingfocusedsurveysforthisspecies.Insteadweadvocatethatsustainabilityofthetradebemonitoredviacollection/exportdata.

We would recommend applying the same conservative approach to deriveharvestablestockfrom2007dataasoutlinedforMacropharyngodonmeleagrisandPseudocheilinushexataenia.The10%quotaestimateforthisspeciesinthe2008 report is 63 individuals. Our densities were 64 times superior to thoserecordedbyYeeting&Palik(2008)(seeTable5).Thenewannualquotawouldthereforebe807individuals.Alternatively,onecouldderiveaquotabylimitingthe stock estimate to the area of reef considered as known habitat for thisspecies (25m and deeper), rather than the entire reef area. Thus,with a reefperimeterof47kmaroundKosraeanda conservativepreferredhabitatwidthextending30mbelowthe25mdepthcontourthenewharvestablequotaforthisspecies would be 695 fish. If exports exceed the higher estimate surveysfocusing solely on this species ‐ because of its cryptic nature – might beconsideredtoobtainamoreaccuratestockassessment.Thisspecieswasnotrecordedfrequentlyduringthe2007surveys.Our surveys showed a fair abundance of this species, and eight timed‐swimswereundertakentogetaroughestimatesofstocksize.Fishwereobservedonall dives whether surveying or evaluating “Best Practice”; always at depth(>20m). Therefore the specieswas not considered site‐specific.We counted atotal of 40 individuals in 61 minutes (see Table 6) during timed surveys; adensity2.4timesthatrecordedintheoriginalreport.Thissignificantdifferenceis likelyattributable tothe fact thatalthough found in10metersofwater thisspeciesprefersdeeperwater,particularly individualsof therightsize toenterthetrade.

AlthoughfuturesurveyscouldbeconductedforPygoplitesdiacanthus,giventhatthis species is collected in low quantities, is found at depth and thereforepresentsariskintermsofdivesafety,ourrecommendationisthatsurveysforthisspeciesbeconsideredalowpriority.Insteadweadvocatethatsustainabilityofthetradebemonitoredviacollection/exportdata.

The original low 10% quota estimate is 1,678 individuals (Yeeting & Palik2008). Given that similar densities were recorded during the 2007 and 2013surveyswewouldrecommendthisquotastaythesame.Asonlysmalljuvenilesshouldbe targeted for the trade, leaving adults to reproduceon the reef (e.g.,Palumbi et al. 2004; Beldade 2012), an additional measure may be to limitcollectionsizetofishlessthan15cminsize.Ifannualexportsinthefuturewereto exceed this number (for fish only up to a maximum of 15cm), then moreextensivesurveystoaccuratelyestablishstocksizemayneedtobeundertaken.

 

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Table5–EstimatesofCentropygemulticolordensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted2meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

CentropygemulticolorDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)(2008)8Nov 35 13 10 10.158Nov 35 10 1 1.328Nov 30 5 1 2.648Nov 30 10 4 5.289Nov 30 10 4 5.28 Total Total Average 48 20 4.93 0.077

Table6‐EstimatesofPygoplitesdiacanthusdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline.

PygoplitesdiacanthusDate Depth(m) Swimtime(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)

(2008)8Nov 35 13 5 3.38 8Nov 35 10 14 3.52 8Nov 40 5 17 12.31 8Nov 25 3 42 5.86 9Nov 30 5 42 3.52 9Nov 20 5 3 5.28 9Nov 30 10 9 7.92 9Nov 30 10 8 7.04 Total Total Average 61 40 6.10 2.538

Otherspecies

FamilyAcanthuridaeAcanthurusnigricans

This species is found in large numbers at varying levels of depth all around Kosrae.Juvenilestendtooccurinshallowareas,whileadultspreferdeeperwaters.YeetingandPalik(2008)estimated10%stocksizeat20,004(withthe lower10%estimatebeing14,259–seeAppendixII).

Itisourunderstandingthatthisspecies,chieflyinitsadultform,isalsofishedforfoodinKosrae. Inthecasewherethereisoverlapbetweensubsistencetakeandaquariumtakeofaspecieswesuggestthatamoreconservativequotaandpossiblyamaximumsize limit be adopted by the aquarium fishery. If the fish represents an importantsourceoftakeinsubsistencefishingthen5%ofthelowstockestimateshouldbeappliedasquota.Toprotectsubsistencefishermenthesamequotashouldbeappliedtoothercommercialactivitiestargetingthisspecies,forexamplecommercialspearing.Perfishremoved,themarineaquariumfisheryhaslessimpactontheresourcethancommercialspearingasitremovesonlyjuvenilefishandnotthebreedingstock.Largerfemaleslaymanymoreeggs than smaller individuals, and theiryoungaremore likely to survive(Green2008). Inmanyspecies, theoffspringofbig fishswimbetter, grow fasterandlivelongerthanonesfromsmallermothers.Recentstudieshavefurthershownthatthecontribution of larger females to self‐recruitment was significantly greater thanexpectedonthebasisoftherelationshipbetweenbodysizeandfecundity,underliningthe importance and impact of female size on offspring traits (Beldade et al. 2012).Moreover, a study conducted in Hawaii on a species within the same family as A.nigricansshowedthatonly1%ofjuvenilessurviveuntilbreedingagewhenprotectedfrom fishing (Claisse et al. 2009). Thus, the removal of a juvenile fish for exportprovides income to fishermen and employees in themarine aquarium trade from anindividual that is unlikely to survive to adulthood. It provides a high return in valuewithlittleimpact,andifcombinedwithamorestringentquotaensuresthattherewill

 

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benegligibleimpactontheadultbreedingstockanditsuseasafoodsource.Whilewedo not feel it is needed in Kosrae given the high standards underwhich the currentcompany isoperating, asize limit couldbe implemented toensureonly juvenilesarecollectedforthemarineaquariumtrade.

Ourstockestimatesshowa75%greaterabundancethanthosepublishedinYeeting&Palik (2008) (see Table 7). Despite the increased abundancewe recorded, given thenotedpotentialconflictbetweentheaquariumandfoodfisheries,werecommendthattheoriginal low10%stockquotabereducedfrom10%to5%,resultinginanannualquotaof7,130individuals.

FamilyPomacanthidaeCentropygeloriculus 

 

Centropygeloriculuswasobservedonalldivesatarangeofdepth.Thisspecieshasaskittishnatureandtendstodartinandoutofthesubstratewhereitseeksrefugewhenapproached.Thus,traditionalsurveyswhereatransecttapeislaidoutwilltendtounderestimateabundanceofthisspecies.Species‐specificsurveysmaybeusefultoregularlyassessstockonKosrae,asitisadesirablespecies.However,froma resource point of viewwewould advocate to chieflymonitor sustainability of thetradeviacollection/exportdata.

Ouraveragestockestimateswereslightlylowerthanthoserecordedin2008(seeTable8)sincewe includesurveys inshallowanddeeperwaters.At thepreferreddepthforthis species our estimates corroborate previous findings and as such we wouldadvocatethelow10%quotaestimateof7,642beused.

Table7‐EstimatesofAcanthurusnigricansdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline. 

Date Depth(m) TimeSwim(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)(2008)6‐Nov 5 3 7 20.52 6‐Nov 5 2 10 43.98 6‐Nov 15 3 12 35.19 7‐Nov 10 3 11 32.25 7‐Nov 5 3 21 61.57 7‐Nov 5 3 27 79.17 7‐Nov 15 3 8 23.46 7‐Nov 10‐15 3 12 35.19 7‐Nov 5‐10 4 17 37.38 7‐Nov 5 5 34 59.81 Total Total Average 32 159 42.85 24.263

 

Table8‐EstimatesofCentropygeloriculusdensitiesbasedonnumbersobservedduringtimed‐swims.Fishwerecounted3meithersideofthesurveyswimmingline. 

Date Depth(m) TimeSwim(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)(2008)7‐Nov 15 10 5 4.40 7‐Nov 5 10 20 17.59 7‐Nov 10 4 7 15.39 7‐Nov 15 10 4 3.52 7‐Nov 15 3 2 5.86 7‐Nov 10 3 1 2.93 7‐Nov 5 4 0 0.00 7‐Nov 5 3 0 0.00 7‐Nov 20 10 7 6.16 7‐Nov 10‐15 20 16 7.04 7‐Nov 15 10 10 8.80 7‐Nov 10 10 9 7.92 7‐Nov 25‐30 8 1 1.10 7‐Nov 5‐10 4 1 2.20

 

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Date Depth(m) TimeSwim(min) No.recorded Density(no./1000m2) Density(no./1000m2)(2008)8‐Nov 15 3 11 32.25 8‐Nov 10 3 2 5.86 8‐Nov 15 10 7 6.16 8‐Nov 10 10 8 7.04 8‐Nov 15 5 6 10.56 8‐Nov 10 3 0 0.00 8‐Nov 10 3 6 17.59 8‐Nov 5 3 0 0.00 8‐Nov 5 5 0 0.00 8‐Nov 5 4 0 0.00 8‐Nov 10 10 8 7.04 8‐Nov 10 10 7 6.16 8‐Nov 10 5 3 5.28 8‐Nov 8 5 2 3.52 8‐Nov 5 5 0 0.00 8‐Nov 20 5 5 8.80 8‐Nov 10 5 6 10.56 8‐Nov 10 10 19 16.71 9‐Nov 8 5 8 14.07 9‐Nov 10 10 23 20.23 9‐Nov 10 10 19 16.71 Total Total Average All 238 223 7.76 OutsideRange <6‐>24 49 22 2.09 InsideRange 8‐24 189 201 10.02 11.385

CommercialsurveyfindingsSurveyedspecieswererankedalonganabundancespectrumofextremelylow(1)toveryhigh(5)dependingonabundance/densitiesdetectedonthereef(seeTable9),andwereinformedbysurveyors’experienceonreefsaroundtheregion.Aclassificationofveryhighabundancedoesnotmeananumericalthresholdwasachievedthatwasconsistentforallspecies,asspeciestypicallyexhibitdifferenthabits(e.g.,schoolingornotschooling,territorialornotterritorial).Assuch,densitycategoriesarerelativetoknowndensitiesobservedatothersitesintheregionforagivenspecies,notrelativetootherspeciesataknownlocation.Alowabundanceratingdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthisspeciesisrare;insteaditmeansthatsustainabletakewouldbelowerthaninacountrywherethisparticularspeciesisknowntobeencounteredfrequentlyandathighabundanceonthereef.TakingCentropygeloriculusandChromisacaresasexamples:densitiesofC.loriculusandChromisacareswererecordedashighinNauru(Wabnitz&Nahacky2013;62.37/1000m2and266.98/1000m2respectivelyinYeeting&Thoma2008).AlthoughC.acareswasrecordedatfourtimesthedensityofC.loriculus,species’abundanceswerenotrankedrelativetoeachother,withbothspeciesconsideredasextremelyabundantinNauru(whencomparedtoothersitesintheregion).

InKosrae,C.loriculusabundancewasrecordedaslow,asnumberswereinferior(11.385/1000m2inYeeting&Palik2008)toknowndensitiesforthisspeciesrecordedelsewhere.Althoughrelativedensitiesareausefulcomparison,itisimportanttonotethatthenumberofindividualsthatcanbesustainablyexportedfromanygivenlocationwillnaturallydependonthetotalareaofreefthatfishcanbecollectedfrom.NauruissmallerthanKosrae.Thus,despiteasignificantgreaterdensityrecordedattheformerisland,standingstockwascalculatedat157,180forNauruand93,685forKosrae.ThereisclearlyasizeablestandingstockinKosraethatcanbesustainablycollectedfrom.ThedensitylabelsassignedtotargetspeciesinTable9shouldbeusedtodeterminehowtoallocateresourcesandmonitoringpriorities,ratherthandeterminequotas.Forexample,Chromisacareswithastandingstockestimateof111,762forKosrae(Yeeting&Palik2008),andforwhichexportnumbers

 

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accountfor3%ofthestandingstock(MartinSelch,pers.comm.),representsalowpriorityspeciestoallocateresourcesformonitoringpurposes.

Table9–Marineaquariumtradetargetspeciesandabundanceranking(1‐5,1beinglowestand5beinghighestabundance)

Family/Speciessurveyed AbundanceRating(1‐5) FAMILY/Speciessurveyed AbundanceRating(1‐5)Acanthuridae Pomacanthidae Acanthurusnigricans 4 Centropygeflavissima 2Acanthuruspyroferus 1 Centropygeloriculus 2Balistidae Centropygemulticolor 2Melichthysvidua 3 Centropygevrolikii 3Blennidae Pygoplitesdiacanthus 2Cirripectesvariolosus 3 Pomacentridae Ecseniusopsifrontalis 4 Amphiprionchrysopterus 2Cirripectesstigmaticus 4 Amphiprionperideraion 1Chaetodontidae Chromisacares 4Chaetodonpunctatofasciatus 3 Chrysiptera traceyi 4Cirrhitidae Chromisvanderbuilti 4Cirrhitichthysoxycephalus 2 Serranidae Labridae Pseudanthiasbartlettorum SeetextforthisspeciesCirrhilabruskatherinae Seetextforthisspecies Pseudanthiasdispar 2Cirrhilabrusluteovittatus Seetextforthisspecies Pseudanthiaspascalus 4Halichoeresmelasmopomus 2 Zanclidae Labroidespectoralis 3 Zancluscornutus 2Macropharyngodonmeleagris 2 Pseudocheilinushexataenia 3 Pseudocheilinusoctataenia 2 Thalassomalutescens 2

BasedondatapresentedinTable9,AcanthuruspyroferusandAmphiprionperideraionaretwospeciesthatwererecordedinrelativelowabundanceduringcommercialsurveysandwhichmonitoringactivitiesmaywanttofocuson.Noendemicspecieswererecordedduringthe2007surveys,orthe2013surveys.Thepossible,thoughunlikely,overexploitationofanendemicspeciesisthereforenotaconcern.GiventhespeciesfoundinKosraewatersandtheabundancesatwhichthesewererecorded,theonlypotentialissuemaybelocalizedover‐fishing.Anumberofnaturalfactorscontributetominimisingsuchariskandensuringthefisheryissustainable:

Onlyaportionofthecoastlinecanbetargetedforcollectionatvarioustimesoftheyearduetotheprevailingtradewinds;

Kosraereefsbenefitsfromhighcoralcover(Yeeting&Palik2008),meaningthatinahighproportionofavailablehabitatitiscasiimpossibletocollectfish.

Inadditiontoweatherandhabitatconstraints,limitedfreightavailabilityandflightsoutofKosraeprovidenaturalprotectionfromlocalisedoverfishingandasafeguardtomaintainadequatestockingeneralterms.

REVIEWOFMMMEACTIVITIESTwodayswerespentatMMMEtocompleteaninspectionoftheexporter’sfacilityitselfandallfishheldthere.WealsospentfourdaysdivingwithMMME’scollectors.Ourassessmentfocusedon:

Thesysteminwhichthefishwerebeingheld; Handlingofallfishcomingintothefacilityandwhilebeingheldatthefacilityitself; Qualityandsizeoffishaswellastypeofspeciesheld; Divesafetypractices;

 

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Collectiontechniques; Handlingpracticesoffishfromthepointofcollection(includingdecompression)untildelivery

tothefacility;and Mortalityratesatthreekeypoints:collection,holding,andarrivalattheimporter.Inaddition,

allfishwereobservedforqualityandhealthafterarrivinginLosAngeles(USA)attheimporter’sfacility.

SystemAllfishwerekeptinawellmaintainedsystemthatwasadequatetokeepthefishingoodhealth.Ithadproperfiltration,bothmechanicalandultraviolet,alongwithproteinskimming.Fishthatareterritorialandshouldnotbekepttogetherwereheldinindividualseparatedcubicles.Dailywasteremovalandotherdailyandweeklyprocedurestomaintainhighqualitywaterwereinplace.

HandlingoffishatthefacilityAllhandlingoffishbystaffatthefacilityfollowedbestpractice,includingfishbeingtransferredfromandbetweenholdingreceptacleswithnets.Fishthatareterritorialandfightwhenplacedtogetherwerecuppedindividually.Speciesthatwereheldtogetherintankswerenotcrowded.Staffcheckedonfishoftenandtanksweremonitoredandcleanedregularly.

FishspeciesandqualityAsthesystemwaswellmaintainedandtaskstomaintainhighqualityundertakendiligentlyandregularly,allfishobservedatthefacilitywereconsideredingoodhealthandofgoodqualityforexport.Thevastmajorityoffishcaughtandheldatthefacilitywerespecificallyrequestedbyimporters(i.e.,caughtonorder).However,fivesspecies(Chaetodonreticulatus,Chaetodonornatissimus,Chaetodonmeyeri,Chaetodonlunulatus,Oxymonacanthuslongirostris–seeFigure2throughFigure 6)collectedinlowquantitiesfelloutsideofthiscategory.Thesefisharestrictcorallivores,meaningtheywillfeedexclusivelyoncoralpolypsanddonotadapttobeingfedanytypeoffishfoodincaptivity.Assuch,thesespeciesaregenerallyrecognizedtobenearlyimpossibletokeepaliveinanaquariumandarenotfrequentlytradedbyreputableimporters.

Figure 2 – Oxymonacanthis longirostris  Figure 3 – Chaetodon meyeri  Figure 4 – Chaetodon ornatissimus  

Figure 5 – Chaetodon lunulatus  Figure 6 ‐ Chaetodon reticulatus  

© Quality Marine© J.E. Randall (Fishbase)  © J.E. Randall (Fishbase) 

© J.E. Randall (Fishbase)  © Quality Marine

 

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Recommendation:Wesuggestedthatexportofthesespeciesbestopped,ameasure,whichwasimplementedoverthedurationofourstay.Subsequentfollow‐upwithtwoofMMME’smainimportersandreviewoftheirrecordsconfirmedthisrecommendationwasinplaceandthesespecieswerenotbeingexportedtotheUSA/UK.

MortalityThemortalityfromcollectiontoarrivalatanexportingfacilitycansubstantiallyimpactthesustainabilityofanaquariumfishery,particularlywherereefareaislimited.Iflossesarehighmorefishneedtobecollectedtofillorders.Duringtheperiodofassessmentitwasclearthatmortalitywaslowfromcollectionthroughtoarrivalattheimporterandthatanyimpactofcollectiontoreplacemortalitywasnegligible.Overalllossesatkeyassessmentpointswereasfollows:

a. Collectionandtransportfromcollectionpointtofacility:lessthan1%overall,basedonthreedaysspentonboardthecollectionboatandmonitoringcollectionactivitiesofalldivers;

b. Atthefacilitypriortoexport:Lessthan1%overall;basedonthoroughscreeningandassessmentofcollectedfishatsixrandomdifferenttimesattheexporter’sfacility;

c. Arrivalattheimporter’s:averageoflessthan1.4%overallforthethirdquarterof2013;basedonanassessmentofDOA7recordsobtainedonsiteattheimportend;and

d. Attheimporter’sfacility:anevaluationoffishhealthattheimportfacilityinLosAngelesshowedfishfromKosraetobehealthy,active,andlookingverywell.ImportersintheEUandHongKongreportedthesamefindings.

DivesafetyOverall,diverswerefoundtofollowreasonablediveprofiles,withsomeroomforimprovementintermsofsafety.Thefactthataboatoperatorisatalltimespresentatthesurfaceistobelaudedand

addssafety.Divingequipmentwasfoundtobeinexcellentconditionandwellmaintained(e.g.,rinsedaftereachdiveandstoredadequately).Recommendation:Werecommendedthatdiversbetrainedtousedivecomputersthatareeasytocalibrate,inamannerthatimprovesdiveprofile,andsafety.Moreover,fishthatarecollectedinwatersdeeperthan35metersshouldonlyhaveadailyorderforthequantitythatcanbecollectedinonetanksoastodiscouragemultipledivesatdepthsgreaterthan35meters.WealsosuggestedthatMMMEimplementapolicyofnotdivingmorethanonetankperdaydeeperthan35meters.Theselattertworecommendationswereputinplacerightaway.

CollectionpracticesandhandlingskillsOncediversarrivedatacollectionsitetheboatistiedtoabuoyortheboatmanaskedtodriftfollowingthedivers.Therefore,anchordamageasaresultofcollectionpracticesisnotaconcern.Weobservedvirtuallynodamagetothereefduetofinsduringcollection.Experienceddiversexhibitedamixofcarelevelsduringcollection,leavinginsomeinstancesroomforimprovement.Traineediversdidnotexhibitthecarethatshouldbetakenwhencollecting.

                                                            7DeathOnArrival

Figure7–Divermonitoringfishduringascentanddecompressingfishasneeded.Notethatthediversisstationaryinthewatercolumnawayfromthesubstrate

 

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Recommendations:AnumberofsuggestionswerebroughttotheattentionofMMME’smanagerandalldiversduringameeting,whereallweregivenanopportunitytoaskquestionsanddiscusstheissueathand:

Whensettingcollectinggearonthebottom(inbetweendives)itshouldbeleftontopadeadcoralcolonyoronrubble,neveronalivecoralhead;

Allrebarshouldbereplacedwithfibreglassorgraphiterodsof13mmmaximumdiameter.Thisrecommendationwasimmediatelyfollowed‐uponbyarrangingtheexportof12.5mmyellowfiberglassrodsfromHawaiitoKosrae;

Diverswereencouragedtotreatallsubstratewithgentlecare;and Whensettingthenetdiversshouldconsiderifanycoraldamagewillresultfromcollection.Ifso

theyshouldlookforanothersetorleavethisfishonthereef.

ThenetsusedforcollectionofallspeciesexceptAnthiasaresmallnotexceedingthreemeterslengthandonemeterheight,withasmallmeshsize(<13mmstretchedeye).Mostfishthatarenottargetedgoaroundthenet.Duetothelowstrengthofthemonofilamentlineusedanymediumorlargefishthatgointothenetcanbreakthroughthenet.Toavoidtheirnetbeingdamagedthecollectorsgotoconsiderableefforttobesurenolargefishhitthenetexcepttheonestheyaretargeting.Asaresultofthesmallmeshsizeused,almostnofishwereseengilledinthenets.ObservationsofsetsforAnthiasusingthelargernetshowedthataminimumoftwodiversconstantlycontrolandmonitorthenet.Thus,nodisruptiontonon‐targetspecieswasobserved.Generally,thediverswerefoundtohandlethefishcarefullyunderwatertomaximisetheirhealth.Diverswerefoundtoprovideregularwaterchanges,bothunderwaterandonboardtheboat.Onceaboardtheboat,allfisharetransferredtowell‐maintainedcoolerswithalidprovidedwithgoodaeration.Aboatcovernotonlyshieldstheboatcaptainanddiversfromthesun,butalsoprovidesadditionalprotectionfromwaterheatingforthefish.Overall,collectorswerefoundtodecompressthefishaccordingtobestpractice(Figure7),withonlyafewfishhavinghadmoreairremovedthanisoptimaland/orsufferedsubsequentinfectionduetoapoorlysterilisedneedle(2‐3%ofC.loriculus,correspondingto<1%ofallfishbroughttothefacility).WhiledivingwiththecollectorswewitnessedexcellenthandlingofthenetasateamduringP.bartlettorumcollectiontomaximisequality.Recommendation:Needlesshouldbekeptinalcoholatalltimesorchangedmorefrequently.Fishthatwerefoundtorequirefurtherdecompressiononceatthefacilitywerebeingpackedinaplasticbagwithasmuchpressureaspossible.Itwasrecommendedthisprocedurebereplacedbyputtingthefishinadeepcontainer(1‐2meters).Thiswasimmediatelyputinplacebytheexporter.

SummaryofrecommendationstoMMME Thefollowing5speciesshouldnotbeexported8untilweareabletokeepthemaliveforextended

periodsoftimeinanaquarium:Chaetodonreticulatus,C.ornatissimus,C.meyeri,C.lunulatusandOxymonacanthuslongirostris;

Diversshouldknowhowtoandusedivecomputersinamannerthatimprovessafetyandthattheywouldactuallyutilize;

Forfishcollectedfromwatersdeeperthan35meterstheexportershouldnotordermorefishthancanbenormallyandsafelybecollectedononetank8;

Acompanypolicyshouldbeintroducedlimitingdivesto≥35mtoonetankperday8;

                                                            8Theserecommendationswereimplementedrightaway

 

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Collectinggearleftonthesubstrateinbetweendivesshouldalwaysbeplacedontopofadeadcoralcolonyorrubble;

Rebarshouldbereplacedwithafibreglassorgraphiterodofa13mmmaximumdiameter9; Diversshouldexerciseutmostcarewiththesubstrate; Netsshouldalwaysbesetsoastoresultinnocoraldamage; Needlestodecompressfishshouldbekeptinalcoholorchangedoften9;and Allfishthatarriveatthefacilityinneedofadditionaldecompressionshouldbeplacedatthe

bottomofadeepcontainer(1‐2meters)9.

RECOMMENDATIONSFORKOSRAEGOVERNMENT Datashouldbecompiledbytheappropriatedepartmentatspecieslevelsoastomonitor

collectionorexporttrends.Emphasisshouldbeplacedonkeyspecies–e.g.,C.multicolor,C.loriculus.Thisisthemostimportantactiontobeimplementedtomonitorthesustainabilityofthetrade.

DuetothesizeofthereefareainKosraeitisrecommendedthatthereonlyonelicensebeissuedfortheislandofKosrae(i.e.,oneoperator).AnyexpansionofthefisheryshouldtargetotherislandsofFSMwheretherearecurrentlynotoperatorsandcollectioncantakeplaceoveralargerreefarea.

Re‐evaluatestockofspecificspecies(Centropygeloriculus,Centropygeflavissima,Labroidespectoralis,PygoplitesdiacanthusandAmphiprionchrysopterus)atkeysiteseverysixmonths.Theassessmentsshouldbedoneinexactlythesamemontheachyearandatmultipledepths(10‐15‐20meters).Itisrecommendedthatsurveysfocusonfoursitesfrequentlyusedforcollectionandtwositeslocatedinaprotectedarea(beingmindfulthatsitesshouldhavesimilarhabitatstobecomparable).

CONCLUSIONSTheexportoffishfortheaquariumtradefromKosraeprovidesjobsfor19individuals.Currentlyrelatedmaricultureactivitiessuchasspawningandgrow‐outofTridacnaclamsandcoralfarmingwouldnotbeviablewithouttheexportofwildcaughtaquariumfishtomeetoverheads,minimumfreightvolumes,andcustomerorderrequirements.Theseactivitiesbeinglinked,theexportofaquariumfishisanimportantsectortoensureandretaintheeconomicbenefitsderivedfrommaricultureactivities.Kosraehasestablisheditselfasahighqualityexporterofaquariumfishandhasanexcellentreputationthroughoutthetrade.Followingonourmonitoringofthelocalexporter’scompanywedidtwopresentationsonefortheowner/managersandonewhichincludedthecollectorsandboatdrivertooutlineanddiscusstherecommendationswehadarrivedatbasedonourobservations.Whenwelaterchecked‐inwiththeexporteronlocationorfollowed‐uponmatterssubsequenttoourdeparture,thevastmajorityofourrecommendationshadalreadybeenimplemented.Thus,littleornofollow‐upisrequiredonrecommendationsmadetotheexporter.WhiletheaquariumfisheryinKosraeappearssustainable,governmentshouldobtainexportdatabyspeciesaftereachshipmentandmonitortrendsinexportedquantitiesandspeciesovertime.Thiswouldprovideacosteffectivewaytomonitorthefisheryintothefuturetohelpassureitremainssustainable.

                                                            9Theserecommendationswereimplementedrightaway

 

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REFERENCESBeldade,R.Holbrook,S.J.,Schmitt,R.J.,Planes,S.,Malone,D.andG.Bernardi(2012)Largerfemalefishcontributedisproportionatelymoretoself‐replenishmentProceedingsoftheRoyalSocietyBdoi:10.1098/rspb.2011.24332433:1471‐2954

ClaisseJ.T.,McTeeS.A.,andJ.D.Parrish(2009)Effectsofage,size,anddensityonnaturalsurvivalforanimportantcoralreeffisheryspecies,yellowtang,Zebrasomaflavescens.CoralReefs28:95‐105

Green,B.S.2008Maternaleffectsinfishpopulations.AdvancesinMarineBiology54,1–105

Kulbicki,M.andSarramegna,S.(1999).Comparisonofdensityestimatesfromstriptransectsanddistancesamplingfromunderwatervisualcensuses:acasestudyofChaetodontidaeandPomacanthidae.AquaticLivingResources12(5)(1999):315–325.

Kulbicki,M.,Labrosse,P.andY.Letourneur(2000).FishstockassessmentofthenorthernNewCaledonianlagoons:2–Stocksoflagoonbottomandreef‐associatedfishes.AquaticLivingResources13(2)(2002):77–90.

Labrosse,P.,Letourneur,Y.,Kulbicki,M.andJ.R.Paddon(2002).FishstockassessmentofthenorthernNewCaledonianlagoons:3–Fishingpressure,potentialyieldsandimpactsonmanagementoptions.AquaticLivingResources13(2)(2002):91–98.

Palumbi,S.R.2004.Marinereservesandoceanneighborhoods:thespatialscaleofmarinepopulationsandtheirmanagement.AnnualReviewofEnvironmentandResources29:31–68.

Yeeting,B.,andS.Palik(2008)ThemarineaquariumfishresourcesofKosraeisland,FederatedStatesofMicronesia:Asurveyoftheresourcesanditspotentialforsupportingamarineaquariumexportindustry.SecretariatofthePacificCommunity,Noumea,NewCaledonia.Draft.52pp

Yeeting,B.,andD.Thoma(2008)AfirstsurveyofthemarineaquariumfishresourcesofNauru.SecretariatofthePacificCommunity,Noumea,NewCaledonia.43pp

Wabnitz,C.,andT.Nahacky(2013)CommercialsurveyforornamentalfishspeciesinNauru.SecretariatofthePacificCommunity,Noumea,NewCaledonia.26pp

 

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AppendixIMaintargetspeciesthatrepresentthebulkofMMMEexports Scientificname Commonname1 Acanthurusnigricans Whitecheektang2 Acanthuruspyroferus Mimictang3 Melichthysvidua Pinktailtriggerfish4 Cirripectesvariolosus Red‐speckledblenny5 Ecseniusopsifrontalis Comicalblenny6 Cirripectesstigmaticus Emberblenny7 Chaetodonpunctatofasciatus Spotbandbutterflyfish8 Cirrhitichthysoxycephalus Coralhawkfish9 Cirrhilabruskatherinae Katherine’swrasse10 Cirrhilabrusluteovittatus Yellowbandwrasse11 Halichoeresmelasmopomus Blackearwrasse12 Labroidespectoralis Blackspotcleanerwrasse13 Macropharyngodonmeleagris Leopardwrasse14 Pseudocheilinushexataenia Six‐linewrasse15 Pseudocheilinusoctataenia Eight‐linewrasse16 Thalassomalutescens Bananawrasse17 Centropygeflavissima Lemonpeel18 Centropygeloriculus Flameangel19 Centropygemulticolor Multicolorangelfish20 Centropygevrolikii Pearlscaleangel21 Pygoplitesdiacanthus Regalangel22 Amphiprionchrysopterus Bluestripe(orangefin)clownfish23 Amphiprionperideraion Pinkskunkclownfish24 Chromisacares Midgetreefchromis25 Chrysipteratraceyi Tracey’sdamsel26 Chromisvanderbilti Vanderbilt’schromis27 Pseudanthiasbartlettorum Bartlett’santhias28 Pseudanthiasdispar Disparanthias29 Pseudanthiaspascalus Purplequeenanthias30 Zancluscornutus Moorishidol

 

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AppendixII

Species  10% Low Estimate Quota (2008) 10% of stock (2008)

Acanthurus nigricans 14,259                                                     20,004                         

Acanthurus pyroferus 51                                                             190                               

Amphiprion chrysopterus 2,384                                                        3,171                            

Amphiprion perideraion 158                                                           634                               

Centropyge flavissima 876                                                           1,268                            

Centropyge loricula 7,642                                                        9,386                            

Centropyge multicolor 63                                 

Centropyge vroliki 7,796                                                        9,894                            

Chaetodon punctatofasciatus 4,566                            

Chromis acares 84,381                                                     111,762                       

Chromis vanderbilti ‐

Chrysiptera traceyi 11,824                                                     16,506                         

Cirrhilabrus katherinae ‐

Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus ‐

Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus ‐

Cirripectes stigmaticus ‐

Cirripectes variolosus ‐

Ecsenius opsifrontalis ‐

Halichoeres melasmopomus ‐

Labroides pectoralis 112                                                           317                               

Macropharynogodon meleagris 104                                                           254                               

Melichthys vidua 999                                                           1,395                            

Pseudanthias bartlettorum ‐

Pseudanthias dispar 5,688                                                        10,758                         

Pseudanthias pascalus 7,420                            

Pseudocheilinus hexataenia 63                                 

Pseudocheilinus octotaenia 1,015                            

Pygoplites diacanthus 1,678                                                        2,092                            

Thalassoma lutescens 4,247                                                        5,201                            

Zanclus cornutus 1,332