2012 Annual Report for EW11-001
Training in Marine Ornamental Farming for Extension Professionals in Micronesia
Summary
This project is based on assumptions that the marine ornamental aquaculture industry in Micronesia could be improved by better skills, knowledge, and communication between practitioners. The Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP) is leading this proejct. In 2012, three activities occurred: a workshop in Pohnpei; a study tour of Majuro and Kosrae; and study tour to the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America annual meeting. All three activities were completed successfully. In total 53 people involved in the marine ornamental industry have received training or outreach from this project. Preliminary analysis indicates: increased activity and coordination between producers and extension workers; increased skill levels; and new partnerships. Work remaining for this project is follow-up training and outcome evaluation in years 2 (2013) and 3 (2014) of the project.
Objectives/Performance Targets
For 2012 the following activities and performance targets were proposed.
a. One week training for aquaculture professionals and producers at MERIP in Pohnpei. Participants will travel from Kosrae and Majuro to Pohnpei where they will undergo a one week training on marine ornamental culture techniques. This will include grow-out, marketing, shipping, permitting and sustainability aspects of the trade.
b. Study tour for 3 MERIP personnel to Majuro and Kosrae to visit existing facilities. This tour will also act as a feedback function for practitioners at these sites as the MERIP personnel will not only learn from their experiences but will also be able to provide advice to producers on-site.
c. Study tour for one individual to the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) annual meeting in Des Moine, Iowa in 2011. This meeting is the premier meeting of the marine aquarium industry in the United States and has the opportunity to meet with many buyers and producers of marine ornamental products and to learn the newest trends and techniques.
Accomplishments/Milestones
a. A one week training for aquaculture professionals and producers. The workshop was successfully held at the MERIP facility in Pohnpei from March 5-8, a total of 4 days. On each day of the workshop there were the same 15 participants (see Workshop Participant List document for details) from both the private sector and also Land Grant and public sector fisheries divisions. There were also representatives from conservation NGO’s. Participants were asked to complete an Exit Survey and an Extension Activity Survey (see Exit Survey and Extension Activity Survey document for details), which will be used for comparative evaluation in follow up visits in 2013 and 2014. There were 3 participants from the Marshall Islands and 2 participants from Kosrae. The remaining participants came from Pohnpei. The workshop agenda (Workshop Agenda document) and presentations (Presentations 1-7) are also part of this report. Please also see Pictures PNI 1-6.
b. Study tour for 3 MERIP personnel to Majuro and Kosrae to visit existing facilities. Rather than 3 participants for this study tour it was possible to take 4 people for the same amount of funds. The tour took place from May 11-19, 2012. Due to changes in plane departure times to Kosrae the team visited there first from May 11-14, over a weekend. The team then travelled to the RMI for the remaining days returning to Pohnpei on May 19th.
Kosrae, FSM Tour
On Kosrae the work was coordinated by Mr. Bruno Ned of the Kosrae Fisheries Department and Mr. Martin Selch a private marine ornamental farmer and exporter whose company (Micronesian Management and Marketing Enterprises, MMME) runs the former National Aquaculture Center in Kosrae. Both these individuals participated in the workshop in Pohnpei earlier in the year.
Activities were as follows:
Day 1 – May 11. Arrive from Pohnpei 4 pm in the afternoon and meet with farm personnel at MMME and received a short tour of the facilities.
Day 2 – May 12. MMME staff took us to visit 2 ocean-based coral and giant clams farming sites run by community members in different parts of the island. Later in the day the team assembled at the MMME facilities for a tour of the fish collection and export station and a dinner hosted by our Kosrae partners.
Day 3 – May 13. Kosrae State Fisheries staff took us on a tour of a now disused mangrove crab hatchery. The hatchery had closed recently and the government is interested to use the facility for other purposes. Discussions were held as to what might be done with the facility including expanding its use to marine ornamental product farming. In the evening of May 13, the team were invited to witness the packing methods used by the MMME farm, this is an extremely important part of the marine ornamental trade.
Day 4 – May 14. In the morning a seminar was held at the Kosrae State Department of Economic Affairs. Simon Ellis gave a presentation on marine ornamental invertebrate aquaculture and its importance to exports in Micronesia. Another meeting was held with the Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO) an NGO, which focused on conservation and sustainable livelihoods in Kosrae. Information was provided on how communities might be become more involved in marine ornamental farming, especially with the presence of a successful exporter in Kosrae.
The team then traveled to Majuro, RMI arriving at 8 pm.
Please see pictures KSA 1-3.
Majuro, RMI Tour
The work on Majuro was coordinated by Mr. Miguel Delos Santos the aquaculture researcher at the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) Land Grant Program and also Mr. Provan Crump, manager of a privately owned giant clam and coral farm, Marshall Islands Mariculture Farm (MIMF). Both these individuals participated in the Pohnpei workshop earlier in the year.
Day 5 – May 15. The entire day was spent with Mr. Miguel Delos Santos at the CMI Land Grant aquaculture facility in Arrak, on Majuro. Mr. Delos Santos gave a presentation of their activities to the team and the results of some recent resource surveys of the outer atolls of the Marshall Islands. Mr. Delos Santos has responsibility for marine ornamental extension and outreach for the CMI. His counterpart, Mr. Julius Lucky, also a participant in the Pohnpei workshop earlier in the year was unable to attend due to an off-island commitment.
Research activities at the CMI Land Grant are not focused on marine ornamentals per se but more in marine food fish, sea cucumbers and pearl oysters. However, many of the rearing activities for these species are very similar to marine ornamental invertebrates and fish. Demonstrations of microalgae rearing and pearl oyster spawning methods were presented to the team.
Day 6 – May 16. In the morning the team was invited to the MIMF farm for a tour of the facilities and also to witness the packing process. Discussions were held on the various aspects of the farming processes especially the packing process.
In the afternoon and seminar was held at the CMI and a presentation on the marine ornamental trade was given.
Day 7 – May 17. The team was invited to return to the MIMF farm to participate in the spawning of giant clams. A species not found in Pohnpei, Tridacna derasa, was used. Techniques very different to those used in Pohnpei were demonstrated. The spawning and preparation used the entire day.
Day 8 – May 18. The team were able to visit some lagoon based coral and giant clam farms operated by community members and also to visit some of the sites used for coral broodstock collection in the Majuro lagoon.
Day 9 – May 19. The team returned to Pohnpei in the early morning.
Please see Pictures MAJ 1-6.
c. Study tour for one individual to the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) annual meeting in Des Moine, Iowa in 2011. Due to the start date of this project being after the Des Moine meeting, permission was given by WSARE staff for the study tour to be postponed to the following years meeting in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas. The Dallas meeting ran from September 28-30th, 2012 and was attended by the project leader Simon Ellis. Please see the document titled MACNA Report for more details. This report was distributed widely to workshop participants and other interested parties in the region.
- Presentation 3
- Presentation 6
- Presentation 6
- Presentation 7
- Presentation 8
- MACNA report
- PNI 3
- PNI 1
- MAJ 1
- MAJ 2
- MAJ 3
- MAJ 4
- MAJ 6
- KSA 1
- KSA 2
- KSA 3
- Photo release form
- Workshop participant list
- Exit survey
- Extension activity survey
- MAJ 5
- Presentation 5
- PNI 2
- PNI 5
- Presentation 1
- Presentation 2
- PNI 6
- Presentation 4
- PNI 4
- Exit survey results
- Pohnpei Workshop Agenda
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
Proposed outcomes were as follows: 1. Improved communications and coordination between practitioners and extension professionals, in the FSM and RMI. Results of the exit interviews indicated a better understanding of problems facing both producers and extension personnel. Follow up with different individuals since the Pohnpei workshop indicate smoother and more collaborative relationships between the private and public sectors. Evaluations to be conducted in 2013 will elaborate on these.
2. Increased skill levels of extension professionals and practitioners in marine ornamental culture methods. Results of the exit survey from the Pohnpei workshop indicate that all participants strongly felt they had a better understanding of the marine ornamental industry. Further, all felt the workshop would help them with their work and 86% said they would use methods used in their training in the next 6 months. Evaluation during 2013 will help to elaborate on the usefulness of the trainings.
3. New and improved partnerships within and between existing producers and extension professionals. While number of producers in the Micronesia region is quite small, the workshops and site visits helped greatly to garner collaboration. The manager of MMME in Kosrae subsequently made two visits to Palau to do business with Watson Mariculture. The managers of MERIP, MMME and MIMF routinely now talk on skype and sales from MERIP to MMME and MIMF are growing.
4. Increased number of individuals entering into marine ornamental farming, either at the community or commercial level. At present there is no evidence of this. Further evaluation in 2013 will elaborate on this.