Report of visit to Western Samoa

Preston, G; Taumaia, P; Chapman, L

The South Pacific Commissions' Deep Sea Fisheries Development Project operated in Western Samoa from 1 November 1982 - 3 January 1983, under the supervision of SPC Master Fisherman Pale Taumaia, with assistance from SPC Master Fisherman Lindsay Chapman and SPC Assistant Fisheries Officer Garry Preston. The objectives of the visit were to gather information which might confirm or refute the Fisheries Divisions' growing concern that deep-bottom resources in the Apia area were becoming depleted as a result of local overfishing. A programme of survey deep-bottom fishing was carried out, with 11 fishing trips completed, giving a total fishing effort of 339 line-hours. Detailed catch records were kept and these enabled a superficial comparison of the size and species composition of the catch from the three areas sampled. Overall, no significant differences between fishing results from the areas were detected. The survey data were supplemented by statistical information drawn from the purchase records of the Western Samoa Fishing Marketing Authority. These data were of only limited usefulness for purposes of scientific analysis and few firm conclusions could be drawn from them. In general, they did not support the contention that deep-bottom fishing catch rates or species composition varied significantly between coastal localities around Upolu. There was, however, some indication that shallow water snappers and emperors were under-represented in the catch around Apia, and this may warrant further investigation. The conclusion is that the deep-bottom catch achieved by local fishermen in and around Apia are lower than could be expected. However, this appears to be a result of less-than-effective fishing on the part of local fishermen, rather than an indication of the state of the resource. Several recommendations are made in line with the above conclusions. These include: the collection of statistics on the deep-bottom fishery; a detailed study on the shallow-water inshore resources around Apia; a programme of deep-bottom test fishing; and a training programme for local deep-bottom fishermen.