Update: 4:19PM DELEGATES from five Pacific Island countries made history after being the part of the first-ever Regional Exchange program on sandfish aquaculture for Reseeding.
The program which was
facilitated by the Pacific Community (SPC) provided a platform for countries
with differing technical abilities and stages of development to share
regional-specific technical experience.
A statement by SPC today
said over the last 2 months, delegates from PNG, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu
and Kiribati had the opportunity to travel to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New
Caledonia to see and experience first-hand the different practices employed in
sandfish aquaculture throughout the region.
Participants also gained
practical skills and exposure to new techniques and modes of operation.
“The sandfish exchange
brought together participants in early-mid career to strengthen their
professional networks within the region and among peers facing similar issues
or with solutions to common problems,” the statement said.
“Sandfish is a type of sea
cucumber found in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific region.
The participants nominated for this exchange came from countries with a long
beach-de-mer history and existing or fledgling programs for reseeding and sea
ranching of sandfish.”
It also said lessons
learned from these experiences would be used by participants to build capacity
in their home countries, applying and developing the technical skills and
knowledge to address local challenges.
