Seafood Vendors Receive Training in Data Disclosure

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A seafood vendors forum was held yesterday at Shan-J Restaurant in Malaeimi to improve collection of data on fish sales to stores and restaurants.

Organized in partnership between the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, the purpose of the forum was to increase compliance and improve data collection between commercial vendors and reporting agencies.

DMWR Director, Dr. Ruth Matagi Tofiga in opening the forum, stressed the need to be more sustainable with ocean resources.

She said, “the saying that there are plenty of fish in the sea might not hold true if we don’t sustain our ocean resources.”

The director said collection of data on the yields of the sea assists DMWR  in managing our ocean resources.

The vendors heard presentations from DMWR and Western Pacific Fishery Management Council staff.

DMWR’s Chief Conservation Enforcement Officer, Peter Eves, discussed fishing regulations, permits and licenses.

Mac Aveina, a staffer of the WPFMC who is assisting DMWR staff touched on commercial receipt books and how to make sure they are filled out properly while Tepora Lavata’i,  Supervisor of DMWR Boat Base gave an overview of the receipts collected from the vendors (store/restaurant).

DMWR Director Matagi Tofiga acknowledged WPFMC staff, Executive Director Kitty Simmonds and Marlowe Sabater for supporting this forum.

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