Staghorn coral, Acropora humilis? This species forms interlocking branches to shelters small fish, molluscs and other invertebrates from predators. The photo taken in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.

Blue-spotted Stingray (Taeniura lymma) found in shallow waters throughout Papua New Guinea. Its tail is venomous but usually isn't deadly unless whips the chest or any central blood veins. One example would be Mr. Steve Erwin (late). The photo below was taken at Nuakata Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea..

Blue-spotted Stingray - Taeniura lymma

A Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. This species is one of the endangered species in the IUCN and CITIES. The picture below was taken during a dive a Rai Coast, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.

Green Turtle - Chelonia mydas

This Octopus species was found in Daru Island, Western Province of Papua New Guinea. This species and many others of its kind like cuttlefish usually change their color to blend with their surrounding. I was amazed this one did not conceal itself. This Octopus species could be a Octopus macropus.

Octopus micropus 

East New Britain, Papua New Guinea Sea cucumber survey

The East New Britain sea cucumber survey this month started in a good note with pretending to be a nice weather. Going back and forth in between Kokopo and Rabaul for fuel runs and the provincial fisheries office. The actual survey started on Saturday the 29th of June at Doi Island (Duke of York Islands). Next day Sunday, went all the way to Matong Island.
Matong Island survey was interesting as we countered quite a good number of White teatfish (Holothuria nobilis).
Later Monday, we did logistics run and on Tuesday the team travelled all the way to Takis point and overnight at Lassul due to bad weather. Next morning, surveyed around Makada and returned back to Kokopo.
Overall the survey recorded few new species of Curry fish and good numbers of various species.

Sea Cucumber spawning

While diving and surveying sea cucumbers in Papua New Guinea, you will rarely encounter many of the different kinds of species of sea cucumbers to spawn. However, the species of Flower fish Boadschia graffei is commonly seen spawning with its tail rose up while releasing the eggs or sperm in coral reef habitat. It is quite amazing to just observe and take photos. Twice whilst diving in New Ireland Province, I observed the Sand fish Holothuria scabra spawning. Other experience was at Kombe in West New Britain Province, where I observed a Deepwater redfish.

All species of sea cucumbers have different times of spawning season. There is a gap in the knowledge of those spawning seasons to very effectively carry out monitoring and conservation efforts.

Seaweed Farming -Alternative to Beche-de-mer?

Sea weed farming has been trialed in Milne Bay province and just recently, the people of Kataret Island in the Autonomous region of Bougainville stated farming. Unfortunately, it is new in Papua New Guinea therefore, the price and facilities had not been set has yet. The islanders of Kataret had been farming, harvesting and processed dry to sell it the Solomon Island's buyers. They were selling a kilo for only one PNG kina. Below is the photograph of

 the under water farm.

Manus Island BDM Survey

WE started the Sea cucumber survey in Manus from the 8th to the 15th of June 2013. We started at Loniu then make our way to Ndilo. After completing Ndilo, we went to Andra and over night at ponam Island. Ndilo, Andra and Ponam had good numbers of Surf Redfish -Actinipyga mauritina were recorded on the reef crests. The next morning we went on to Kali then Bipi.After Bipi we overnight at Mbuke and moved on to Tawi and Pere before overnight again at Mbunai. WE my group cam to town to refill, the other two teams did Mbunai before we all moved on to Baluan. After completing Baluan, we slept over at Rambutso. Early the net morning, we  surveyed the reefs and seagrass beds of Rabutso before we completed the survey for Manus province.

Milne Bay Trip

Milne Bay Trip report

Trip taken:                                 18^th February to 01^st March 2013

Trip to:                                       Milne Bay Province

Purpose:                                    Deploy Permanent transect to 4 selected sites

This is a short report of trip taken to Milne Bay Province from 18^th February to 01^st of March 2013 to deploy permanent transect in four different locations. The first lot of permanent transects were deployed at Samarai Islands, specifically at Logia. The second lot were deployed at Nuakata Island while the third and fourth were Losuia and Motorina respectively. Out of the four locations, three were successfully consigned while Motorina was not visited by the team due to mechanical problem faced with the motorized dinghies while travelling to Motorina from Misima. The report logs in daily activities of the team throughout the duration of the trip together with costs incurred by the officers.   

Sunday 17^th February 2013- Port Moresby

All diving gears were carefully packed together with about 8 bundles of 14 pipes tightly packed with masking tape and wrapping plastics that were allowable for airlifting. Transportation was arranged and paid for by the officers to the airport as flight to Gurney, Milne Bay was early 6 am.

Monday 18^th February 2013- ALotau

The first day of the trip was early morning and gear transportation was done by the private arrangement with the assistance from enforcement officers. At the airport, there were no hiccups as Purchase Order for the weights of the pipes were provided. However, the tickets did not match the PO because the PO was raised under Airlines PNG and our flight tickets were under Air Niugini. We changed the names to Air Niugini and advised our Manager, to advice accounts of the changes.

Although flights were delayed to 9am, we finally manage to arrive at Gurney at around 9:45am and went straight to Masurina Lodge. 

We went straight to Conservation Internal Office, Alotau, headed by Mr. Noel Waguno.

In order to manage the sea cucumber fishery in Papua New Guinea, Sedentary under Fisheries Management Unit likes to work together with NGOs to better manage marine resources and to have full recovery of the BDM fishery in Papua New Guinea. As Conservation International has been working with communities in Nuakata Island, it was one site ideal for deploying of permanent transect so data can be collected to coincide with their monitoring. The meeting was fruitful as envisaged as Noel was so helpful and willing to work with us. Sites were identified through map and reports of their previous monitoring and survey work was provided to the officers. Two of their monitoring officers were also made available to us to assist in our monitoring with BDM. The two officers were well trained by Noel Waguno and his organization and we were privileged to have the expertise of the two CI samplers to work on our permanent transect. We thanked Noel Waguno for his time and went on to arrange for boat at Sandersons Bay.

Tuesday 19^th February- Samarai Island

With the dinghy already anchored at Sandersons Bay, the team with the skipper of the dinghy loaded fuel at Islands Petroleum and got containers refill for the afternoon trip to Samarai Island. We bought rations at Alotau Enterprise then packed all our gears onto the boat and left Sandersons Bay for Samarai Island at 2.30 pm. We arrived at Samarai Island at 3.30 pm and went straight into the district office (white house). The Area Manager at the station helped us with the site selection and identified the ideal location to be Logia. Fortunately, the councilor of the area was on the Island station so he took us to the potential site and identified two samplers for the project. In late afternoon we went back to the Island and overnight at the guest house at Samarai Island. We paid for our accommodation and also for the boat skipper and his three crews.

Wednesday 20^th February 2013 – Samarai Island

At around 7.30 am, we went over to Logia Island and got the two samplers to fully read and got them to sign the sampling contract. After an hour of briefing and teaching the methods off the permanent transects to the two samplers, we started deploying the first five transect at the slope to the North. The flat and crest each followed with 5 transect each and all in total of about 15 transects. At around 2.30 pm we travelled back to Alotau.

Feather Star

Feather stars are marine invertebrates from echinoderms that come under the class of Crinoidea. This group of animals includes sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. There are approximately 600 species of feather stars. There may be about 200 plus species of feather stars found in Papua New Guinea.  They are nocturnal species that have numerous feathery arms that radiate out from a small body. Their mouth is located on the top of their body. Feather stars use a feeding technique called passive suspension feeding in which they extend their feeding arms into the current of the water and catch food as it filters through. Today they are not uncommon and are a favorite subject of the underwater photographer because of their amazing shape and colours. The photo below was taken in Madang during biodiversity survey around Islands near.

Feather star

A pristine and untouched coral reef systems in Papua New Guinea are one of the tourist attraction scenario. Photo below is also taken in Madang during the survey.

Coral reef 

War Relics

The second world war had a big influence to the locals of Papua New Guinea. War relics and unexploded bombs are buried under houses and seas. It poses a great treat to populace as it might explode at any moment unexpected. 

Photo above was taken in Madag, Jays Urban..

Illegal fishing and trade of Beche-de-mer fishery in PNG

The illegal harvesting and trade in the Beche-de-mer fishery had been ripe in Papua New Guinea since the moratorium was placed in 2010. The number of illegal BDM buyers had significantly increased over the years. Most of these illegal buyers were logging companies operating in the country.

The National Fisheries Authority had spent large amount of money on enforcement in all fisheries sector. Beche-de-mer fishery alone took huge slice of the enforcement budget as there was rife in illegal pouching in the country. However, little was done to curtail this activity due to man power shortages and logistics hiccups to actively carry out surveillance in and within the international borders and sea port routes.

Places like Daru in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea shares a common international border with Australia and Indonesia. According to studies conducted by the National Fisheries Authority, Sand fish, Lolly fish and other species have a tendency to improve in stock due to the closure. However owing to illegal harvesting, the sizes were reduced and densities were still low or maintained when comparing from data of previous surveys. Pouching of sea cucumbers also occur in Australian waters (Torres Strait) and illegally sold into Indonesian side of the border. Daru is one part of many isolated cases of illegal harvesting of sea cucumbers in Papua New Guinea.  Some other provinces in Papua New Guinea that are known for their illegal activities are West New Britain Province, East Sepik Province, Sandaun Province and Milne Bay.

One interesting cases of this illegal trade in in Beche-de-mer fishery in Papua New Guinea is in Milne Bay Province. In some parts of Milne Bay, people claimed to do sea ranging on sea cucumbers. That is to take stocks from the wild and placing them into cases. They have been ranging sea cucumbers for some time and when expected to see an increase of stock, however, there was hardly any species in those ranges.

Anywhere, when NFA is doing all its best to maintain the moratorium for sustainability, people of Asian origin are colluding with locals to illegally fish, thereby reducing the stock minimizing recovery. All stakeholders should play an active role to maintain the fishery for sustenance and livelihood in the future.  

A Dragon fish- 

Beche-de-mer Survey Madang Province

Below is the list of Sea cucumber species found in Madang Province during 2012 survey. The survey was funded by the National Fisheries Authority and carried out by the Fisheries Management Unit under Sedentary fisheries. Complete list of species of sea cucumber species found in Madang province:

Figure 1. Tiger Fish - Bohadschia argus

Figure 2. Deep Water Red Fish - Actinopyga echinata

Figure 3. Elephant trunkfish - Holothuria fuscopunctata

Table 2.          Relative abundance of each sea cucumber species recorded the reefs of Madang in 2010 – 2012 surveys.

Note: Common names follow those used by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (2003).     

Species                                                                      Common Name

Holothuria atra	Lollyfish
Pearsonothuria graeffei	Flowerfish
Bohadschia argus	Tigerfish
Thelenota anax	Amberfish
Holothuria edulis	Pinkfish
Thelenota ananas	Prickly Redfish
Holothuria scabra	Sand fish
Stichopus herrmanni	Curryfish
Holothuria fuscopunctata	Elephant trunkfish
Stichopus chloronotus	Greenfish
Actinopyga lecanora	Stonefish
Holothuria fuscogilva	White Teatfish
Holothuria nobilis	Black Teatfish
Actinopyga miliaris	Blackfish
Bohadschia vitiensis	Brown sandfish
Actinopyga echinites	Deepwater redfish
Holothuria coluber	Snakefish
Actinopyga mauritiana	Surf redfish

3 years Moratorium placed on Beche-de-mer harvest and Trade in PNG

The National Fisheries Authority has place another three year moratorium on the Beche-de-mer harvest and trade in Papua New Guinea. The last three year moratorium was started in 2010 and within that 3 year period, biological survey team from the National Fisheries Authority conducted annual monitoring surveys in 8 out of 14 Maritime Provinces of Papua New Guinea.

The results of those surveys show that there was quiet an increase in the density of some of the sea cucumber species, while some showed very low in density. However, densities of different species varied in differing locations in each province in the country. Those locations with high densities, nevertheless, were mostly dominated with juveniles. These juveniles give an affirmative domino effect in encouraging moratorium or periodic closures for effective management of marine resources in the country.

Within the 3 year moratorium more recruitment had been taking place, which resulted in more juveniles and given the extension of another 3 years, the juveniles will reach mature or adult sizes for further reproduction and replenishment to over fished locations.  The National Fisheries Authority has to be commended for its policies and management skills to manage the fisheries resources sustainably for one third of the country’s population that depends on marine resources.

Chalk Fish spawning - releasing eggs into the water column. 

Deep Water Redfish

Betel Nuty......

Myself and Kunaun near Kali village, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. After a long day of Beche-de-mer survey, we went up a river into a betel nut garden. The local boat support man gave this two bucnh before moving on to Mbuka.

Papua New New Guinea and some Pacific Islanders favourite old time snack, BUAI, DAKA na KAMBANG...Buai is the betel nut from the areca nut and the Daka is the mustard grown from vines, while Kambang is the lime crushed from the ashes of corals and shells of bivalves and strombus. The mixture of all the three gives a very distinguishably red colour. 

A pig killing in New Ireland Province
This was in June 2012, at Malagan Beach resort,New Ireland Province. We were there for annual Sea cucumber survey and we were lucky to witness feast preparation for the Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill. Guys from the resort were getting around a tree near the beach and I decided to check what it was. To my great surprise, I saw a pig tired up to a tree upside down. Next I saw one of the man with a razor sharp knife trying unsuccessfully to cut the pigs troth. after couple of unsuccessful attempts, finally he forced the blade deep into neck pipes. Just a little squawk and pig was dead with blood gushing out of the cut and dissolved into the sand.

It was really a terrifying moment just observing the pig killed that way, but then we realised it was New Ireland way.