Pacific Island Women Tackle Fisheries Business in New Zealand

Nelson, New Zealand saw an increase in its Pacific Island community in April with 13 women from around the Pacific attending the New Zealand School of Fisheries for four weeks. The first SPC regional course for Pacific Island women on seafood business operations and management was held in Nelson from 12 April to 7 May 1999. The course was part of the SPC Fisheries Training Section’s regional training programme on the management of fisheries enterprises and was funded by the governments of Australia and France. This was the first course to specifically target women, in recognition of the fact that women are playing an increasing role in the development of the seafood industry in the Pacific. A lack of expertise in seafood business operation and management and a lack of opportunity for training often hampers women involved in commercial fisheries enterprises. The course received a large number of applicants, about 75, of which one third appeared suitable. Of those 13 were selected from PNG, Solomon Islands, FSM, Nauru, Palau, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, Tokelau, Kiribati and Tuvalu. Many of the women attending came from private enterprises and were well-qualified in terms of experience. However, most of the women had never been given an opportunity for training before, and were therefore keen to upgrade their technical skills and learn new strategies to enhance their businesses. The course was developed in collaboration with the New Zealand School of Fisheries and the New Zealand seafood industry to meet the regulatory and quality control requirements of international seafood markets. Subjects covered included seafood production systems (HACCP, handling, quality, value adding, marketing); business management practices (commercial ethic, personnel management and development, problem solving); and business planning and accounting (spreadsheets and computers for accounting, interpretation of financial information, business plans). Classroom lectures were interspersed with practical sessions and site visits around Nelson.

So why have a course just for women? Women do play a large role in the seafood industry in the Pacific, especially the processing and marketing side, but are often overlooked when it comes to training. Unless the course application specifically asks for women, it is likely that most of the applicants will be men. Two previous courses have been held at Nelson for Pacific Island fisheries enterprise managers. The first, in 1997, had three women out of the 13 participants while the second had one woman out of 12. Being in such a minority the few women tended to be overshadowed by the men on these courses. In the latest course the women were very comfortable with each other and related well together—all had children being cared for by extended family and most had been occasionally placed into positions of responsibility in their companies with no training and little support.

The Pacific Island community in Nelson made the women welcome, hosting a Pacific night at the School of Fisheries. Other extra-curricular activities included a visit to a green-lip mussel farm; white-water rafting; and sampling the sashimi and sushi at a local Japanese restaurant.

The thirteen participants left Nelson with a wide range of new skills and personal contacts. All recognised the value of the course and recommended that SPC should seek funding to repeat this training programme in future years. Some women asked SPC representatives if assistance could be given to organise an in-country follow-up to the Nelson training. Consequently, one course tutor will go to Fiji in July to review Ocean Trader’s HACCP plan and production systems. In August, Silika Ngahe, one of the two Tongan participants, will run some workshops on seafood processing and business management, for the women of Ha’apai and Va’vau. A request to fund similar workshops in Honiara was also received from the Solomon Island participant, Delker Lulumani.

The enthusiasm shown by participants in Nelson was quite rewarding for course organisers. Even more encouraging was subsequent feedback by some women, saying they were already applying in their business some of the concepts and strategies learnt in Nelson. The Community Fisheries and Training sections are keen to continue with this training programme and, in July, a funding proposal for three consecutive courses was submitted to NZODA.

For further information please contact :

Michel Blanc