Fifty-three marine and fisheries officials from around the Pacific region are the first batch of the University of the South Pacific (USP) and Pacific European Union Marine Partnerships Project (USP PEUMP) scholarship recipients who are now eligible for graduation.
Over half of the 53 students eligible for graduation are women. Twenty-seven PEUMP scholarship recipients completed the Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance (MCS) held from April – November 22, 2019.
The training targeted fisheries compliance officers across the Pacific ACP Countries – African Caribbean Pacific Countries (PACP) countries to equip them with the highly complex and evolving technical knowledge and skills required to effectively perform their duties.
A further 26 fisheries personnel across the region received PEUMP scholarships for Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (CTA) held from October 14 – December 6, 2019 enabling participants to become effective certified trainers in their respective agencies.
Although the COVID-19 global outbreak had forced the cancellation of USP’s graduation in March, provisions had been made for the eligible graduates to collect their certificates or have them mailed to their country of choice.
The recipients included fisheries stakeholders from government, non-government and communities from 15 Pacific ACP countries (PACP).
The USP is one of four key implementing partners of the PEUMP Programme, a EUR 45M programme funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden. The USP, through the PEUMP Programme, is focusing on building the capacity for Pacific islanders through education, training, research and development in fisheries and marine resources management.
Scholarship recipient, Jacqueline Nalomaca, a fisheries official from Fiji said, “it is not easy as a female fisheries officer to enforce rules and regulations when dealing with fishermen and the fact the Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance course ensured gender balance, was a great achievement given the dominance of male fisheries officers.”
Ms Nalomaca, said, apart from gaining an additional certificate from USP, the learnings have been crucial to develop her skills in the area of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) to carry out her role professionally and safely and allowed her to get updated on compliance mechanisms.
Samoan fisheries official, Unity Roebeck, said the Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance course was “highly informative and taught me new knowledge and skills as well as a new perspective to my role, not only as a Pacific Ocean Custodian but as the Senior Fisheries Officer in the Aquaculture Section.”
In congratulating the graduates the Dean, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, at USP, Dr Anjeela Jokhan said, “the ocean is the lifeline of the Pacific peoples and through education, training and research there will be stronger fisheries and marine resources management through these qualified professionals.
“This knowledge will further help to alleviate poverty, mainstream gender issues and allow a rights-based approach and given the challenges of the global pandemic, COVID -19, and TC Harold these brave officials are still educating coastal communities of health repercussions, extreme weather patterns and sustainable measures that need to be taken”.
Dr. Jokhan added that tracer studies would be undertaken by the USP PEUMP project to gauge the impact of the PEUMP funded trainings on scholarship recipients.
The PEUMP Programme provides direct assistance through regional organisations to support regional and national level activities in the Pacific and addresses some of the most serious challenges faced by the region.
Among these are the increasing depletion of coastal fisheries resources; threats to marine biodiversity, including negative impacts of climate change and disasters; uneven contribution of oceanic fisheries to national economic development; the need for improved education and training on the sustainable management of marine resources; and the need to mainstream a rights-based approach and promote greater recognition of gender issues to ensure inclusiveness and positive changes for Pacific island people.
For more information:
Josephine Prasad, USP-PEUMP Project, Communications Specialist, +679 9922098, josephine.prasad@usp.ac.fj
Mohammed Nazeem KASIM, EU Press Officer, +679 3313-633, Mohammed-Nazeem.KASIM@eeas.europa.eu
EDITORS NOTE
The Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Programme
The Certificate IV Training and Assessment Programme provides formal certification for individuals delivering training and assessment services in skills based qualifications and programmes. The skills set derived from the units of competencies within the programme is also suitable for those engaged in the delivery of training and assessment of competence in a workplace context, as a component of a structured skills based programme. This qualification provides a pathway for employment as a trainer/training officer within a work place environment.
The Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance Programme
The Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance Programme qualification provides the technical skills and knowledge expected of competent Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) officers. The programme covers curricula that complies with standards of competency related to working effectively as a coastal fisheries and aquaculture compliance officer, verifying and monitoring aquaculture and coastal fisheries operations, undertaking community engagement activities and contributing to effective MCS
About Us
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is the premier institution of higher learning for the Pacific, uniquely placed in a region of extraordinary physical, social and economic diversity to serve the region’s needs for high quality tertiary education, research and policy development. One of only two regional universities of its type in the world, USP has 12 member countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. USP is committed to achieving excellence and innovation for the sustainable development of Pacific Island Countries.
The Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) Programme addresses some of the most serious challenges faced by Pacific countries. Among these are the increasing depletion of coastal fisheries resources; the threats to marine biodiversity, including negative impacts of climate change and disasters; the uneven contribution of oceanic fisheries to national economic development; the need for improved education and training; and the need to mainstream a rights-based approach and to promote greater recognition of gender issues to ensure inclusiveness and positive changes for Pacific island people. The five-year PEUMP programme is funded by the European Union (EUR 35 million) and the government of Sweden (EUR 10 million). It is implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC), the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) in close collaboration with Non-Government Organisations and the national authorities.
