Samoa Coastal Fisheries Management and Development Plan 2013 – 2016.

The Samoa Coastal Fisheries Management and Development Plan is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The timeframe of this Plan is 4 years between 2013 and 2016. The overall goal is to ensure a healthy marine environment and ecosystems that maintain sustainable coastal fisheries resources for food security and sustainable livelihoods.
Food availability will be ensured through effective management and monitoring of the effectiveness of fish reserves and resources. Furthermore, the volume of available fish will be increased through the creation and development of fish aggregation devices.
The participation of communities in the management of coastal and marine resources will be encouraged. The Fisheries Division will work in close collaboration with communities to undertake research and monitoring the health of coral reefs and other habitats to identify and track any detrimental impacts to the ecosystem. Community development and management initiatives will be supported by empowering local communities to develop their own fisheries management plans and prepare village by-laws to strengthen enforcement of management measures. Village fisheries reserves will be established in all coastal villages under the Samoa’s Community-based Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management. The skills and knowledge of all those engaged in coastal fisheries will be enhanced.
Specific management plans will be developed for the conservation, sustainable development and management of coastal fisheries. The monitoring, development and management of coastal resources will be strengthened for sustainable use. Therefore, ecosystem preservation will be ensured through research and monitoring of the health of coral reefs and other habitats regarding the adverse impacts of harmful species. Moreover, public awareness will be raised on the status of reserves, common fish and rare and endangered species. Data storage and analytical systems will be developed to assess the status of exploitation and utilization rates of coastal resources. Alternative strategies will be developed to reduce fishing pressure on heavily fished resources. The application of scientific research will be promoted to ensure sustainability of coastal resources, taking into account traditional knowledge and practices.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation measures will be implemented at national and community levels. The community resilience will be increased to respond effectively to the impacts of climate change on coastal fisheries. Public awareness programmes on climate change impacts on coastal tuna fishing and non-extractive marine resources, as well as on the development and diversification of aquaculture will be conducted and therewith adaptive responses will be developed.