The FAO is seeking a suitable candidate for the position of Project Officer (Fishery/Technical Adviser) with its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) for the project, 'Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction'. The post is a fixed-term one year position, with the possibility of extension and is located within the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The project is one of the five of the GEF-7 Common Oceans II Programme 'Global Sustainable Fisheries Management and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)'. The objective of the project is to achieve responsible, efficient and sustainable tuna production and biodiversity conservation in the ABNJ in face of a changing environment.

The Key Functions of the position as described in the Job Description are as follows:

• Provides technical leadership assistance on the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; assists in the review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties.
• Coordinates of programmes and reviews the assessments of issues and trends for the implementation of programmes and projects and the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies.
• Supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications.
• Contributes to consultative and other meetings, conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
• Participates in activities such as structuring of training workshops, seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
• Provides advice on the development of policies and strategies, as well as national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO's work.

Further details on the post, including how to apply, can be found at the FAO Vacancies page, here.

22 April 2024

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is inviting applications for the position of Deputy Compliance Manager at its Secretariat, based in Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. 

The WCPFC oversees the conservation and sustainable utilisation of highly migratory fish stocks, notably tuna, across the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Comprising 41 member countries, territories, and cooperating non-member countries, it focuses on fostering the sustainable management of the area's fisheries resources.

Key responsibilities of the position are outlined in the position description as follows:

"The Deputy Compliance Manager provides support to the Compliance Manager in management and technical development of the Commission’s MCS tools. The position requires a team leader who is responsible for managing the Commission’s databases and online-based systems, including ensuring data quality and completeness. The Deputy Compliance Manager will lead a team that is charged with ensuring that the Secretariat’s Compliance and MCS workflow processes and associated IT reporting tools are efficiently supporting Members’ data collection and reporting requirements. The position will actively support a greater focus by Members on realizing greater value from their data and so will contribute to effectively supporting CCMs with exercising greater control and management of their flagged vessels and to address their reporting gaps. This position will also contribute to the WCPFC’s work to enhance monitoring and verification of fisheries activities and to support the WCPFC Members implementation of conservation and management measures, including harvest strategy elements. Given the increased use of online-based systems and greater responsibility by Member officials in the management of their data, the position is expected to liaise closely with the Science team and the Scientific Data Manager, data analysts, IT team and database contractors, oversee Member training on Secretariat tools, and contribute to innovation and development of systems that support Commission objectives."

For full details of the position, please download the Vacancy Announcement at the WCPFC website, here.

The deadline for applications is Friday 17 May, 2024.

19 April 2024

A Short-tailed Albatross flies past Japan’s Torishima, its main breeding site.  Artwork by Flávia Barreto

For five years the Albatross and Petrel Agreement has collaborated with Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) to produce art in support of World Albatross Day (WAD) on 19 June.  Each year ABUN artists are requested to create artworks that represent an annual theme.  This year ACAP has chosen the theme “Marine Protected Areas - Safeguarding our Oceans”.  The artists have been requested to feature two albatross species, the Near Threatened Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri and the Vulnerable Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus. as part of ABUN’s 47th Project in their interpretations of the MPA theme.  Project #47, set to run from 27 January to 21 April following an extension, has so far produced 35 artworks from the pens and brushes of 21 “ABUN-ers”, some of whom have turned out more than one work.  The most prolific as the project draws to a close is Flávia Barreto, who has produced no less than six paintings, three for each of the two featured species.

Flávia Barreto in a garden setting

Flávia is no stranger to ACAP Latest News, her paintings have been the subject of ACAP Latest News articles for both WAD2022 and WAD2023.  She lives in Nova Friburgo, Brazil and paints in watercolour, gouache and acrylic.  Flávia has described herself as an amateur artist and a retired civil servant.  After retirement she decided to dedicate her life to art.  Being a lover of nature and animals, her art and interests have gradually evolved to drawing and painting threatened species (click here).  Her three works illustrated here are all of the Short-tailed Albatross.  The first, above, takes cognisance that albatrosses live in two different worlds: on their breeding islands and at sea, where MPAs can help protect them from fisheries mortality and overfishing.

Short-tailed Albatrosses gather at the new colony of Hatsunezaki on Torishima.  Artwork by Flávia Barreto

In her second painting, Flávia has chosen to work from a photograph taken by Naoki Tomita in the recently established Short-tailed Albatross colony on Torishima.  The original colony, known as Tsubamezaki, is on a bare steep slope and is at permanent risk to egg and chick loss from landslides, erosion and from potential volcanic activity.  As a consequence, the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology successfully implemented “Operation Decoy” with the use of 90 life-like model albatrosses and audio playback recordings to attract birds to a safer, gently sloping grassed site elsewhere on the island, known as Hatsunezaki.  This new colony is now well established, fledging chicks every year.

Torishima, with the two Short-tailed Albatross breeding sites circled, from the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology

Elsewhere in the North Pacific, a single pair of Short-tailed Albatrosses breeds on the USA’s Midway Atoll, where they are affectionally known as George and Geraldine.  Flávia’s painting  below depicts the darker female incubating on the nest, with the male (now longer known as “Lonesome George” after six years of breeding with Geraldine) behind.  They are now busy rearing their fifth chick (click here).

Short-tailed Albatrosses George and Geraldine on Sand Island, Midway Atoll.  Artwork by Flávia Barreto after a photograph by Jonathan Plissner, 15 January 2022

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 18 April 2024

Proposed Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary Agency, from NOAA

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was proclaimed in June 2006 as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.  It was renamed as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2007.  The monument includes eight atolls in the North Pacific which support large breeding populations of Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses, and a single pair of Short-tailed Albatrosses P. albatrus.  They are Kure, Midway, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, Necker and Nihoa.  Seas out to 50 nautical miles (93 km) around each island are included within the monument.

Short-tailed Albatrosses George and Geraldine on Sand Island, Midway Atoll. Artwork by Flávia Barreto of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN), after a photograph by Jonathon Plissner

The USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has now released for public comment documents for a proposed Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary.  “The proposed sanctuary would include the marine portions of the existing Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and have an area of approximately 582 250 square miles (1508 000 km²).  Papahānaumokuākea’s status as a marine national monument would not change under a sanctuary designation.  The addition of a national marine sanctuary would provide regulatory and management tools to augment and strengthen existing protections for Papahānaumokuākea ecosystems, wildlife, and cultural and maritime heritage resources.”  Access the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed new sanctuary. here and the Proposed Rule as listed in the USA’s Federal Register here.  The proposal and these associated documents are being discussed in Hawaii at public meetings this month.

Papahānaumokuākea was inscribed as a mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Site in 2010.

“Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans”, is the theme for this year’s World Albatross Day (WAD2024), to be celebrated on 19 June 2024. 

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 April 2024