Western Province Bêche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan 2025

Made under section 21 of the Fisheries Management Act 2015

1. Citation

This Plan may be cited as the Western Province Bêche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan 2025.

2. Commencement

This Plan shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Gazette.

3. Definitions

In this Plan, unless the context otherwise requires:

• "Act" means the Fisheries Management Act 2015;
• "aquarium trade specimen" means a live bêche-de-mer specimen collected in accordance with paragraph 9(1)(c) and intended for the aquarium trade;
• "bêche-de-mer" means any species of sea cucumber of the Class Holothuroidea, whether live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, processed or in any other form;
• "catch" means any quantity of bêche-de-mer taken, harvested or recovered from the Fishery;
• "Director" means the Director of the Ministry responsible for fisheries;
• "Fishing Licence" means a licence issued under section 22 of the Act authorising the taking of bêche-de-mer;
• "Fishery" means the Western Province Bêche-de-mer Fishery described in Part 5;
• "Fishery Officer" has the meaning given to it in the Act;
• "Fishing Trip Report" means a report in the form set out in Schedule 2;
• "High-value bêche-de-mer species" means any species of the genera Holothuria and Thelenota (commonly known as "white teatfish", "black teatfish", "sandfish", "curryfish", "leopard fish", "amberfish" or "blackfish"), as listed in Schedule 3, and any other species designated by the Director as high-value by public notice;
• "Land-based processing" means the drying, smoking, salting, fermenting or other processing of bêche-de-mer in a place of business registered under paragraph 9(2)(c);
• "licence period" means the period of twelve months beginning on 1 January in any year, or such other period as the Director may, in writing, specify;
• "low-value bêche-de-mer species" means any bêche-de-mer species not listed as a high-value species in Schedule 3, and commonly known as "lollyfish", "stonefish", "flowerfish", "chocolate chip" and "sea cucumber (medium and low value)";
• "Minister" means the Minister responsible for fisheries;
• "operator" means the holder of a Fishing Licence, and includes any person acting under the authority of that licence;
• "Plan" means this Western Province Bêche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan 2025;
• "Processing Licence" means a licence issued under paragraph 9(2)(a) authorising the export of bêche-de-mer;
• "Provincial Government" means the government of the Western Province acting through the Western Province Fisheries Council;
• "Provincial Ordinance" means the Western Province Fisheries Ordinance (Cap. 11) and any subsidiary legislation made under it;
• "registered boat" means a boat registered under the Act and the Regulations;
• "Regulations" means the Fisheries (Management Plans) Regulations 2017 and any other subsidiary legislation made under the Act;
• "Sea Cucumber Spawning Aggregation Survey" means a survey conducted pursuant to paragraph 10(1)(d);
• "size limit" means the minimum wet weight of a live bêche-de-mer specified in column 2 of Schedule 1, in drained condition, and (for species of the genera Holothuria and Thelenota) after removal of the gut, gonad and respiratory tree;
• "special permit" means a permit issued under section 28 of the Act;
• "Sub-Plan" means a Community Fisheries Management Plan or other subsidiary plan made under Part 11 of this Plan;
• "trigger reference point" means a reference point specified in clause 7.

4. Objectives

The objectives of this Plan are—

• (a) to ensure the biological sustainability and long-term productivity of bêche-de-mer stocks in the Western Province;
• (b) to enable the recovery of depleted stocks, in particular the high-value bêche-de-mer species listed in Schedule 3;
• (c) to optimise the social and economic benefits derived from the Fishery for the people of the Western Province;
• (d) to provide for the management of the Fishery in accordance with the ecosystem approach to fisheries management;
• (e) to comply with Solomon Islands' obligations under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• (f) to recognise and provide for the rights and interests of traditional owners, the Provincial Government, and communities engaged in the Fishery, and to promote co-management arrangements under sections 30 and 31 of the Act;
• (g) to ensure the collection of data sufficient for the effective monitoring, assessment and review of the Fishery; and
• (h) to promote compliance with the Act, the Regulations, this Plan, and any applicable Provincial Ordinance.

Part I — Application

5. Application

(1) This Plan applies to all bêche-de-mer taken from, landed at, transhipped through, processed in, or exported from, the Fishery.

(2) Without limiting the generality of sub-clause (1), this Plan binds the Crown, the Director, the Provincial Government, every operator, and every person who, in the Western Province—

• (a) takes, attempts to take, or assists in the taking of bêche-de-mer;
• (b) lands, processes, transports, sells, purchases, possesses, exports or imports bêche-de-mer; or
• (c) is the owner, charterer or operator of a boat used in the Fishery.

(3) In the event of any inconsistency between this Plan and a Provincial Ordinance, this Plan shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, prevail.

Part II — Description of the Fishery

6. Description of the Fishery

(1) The Fishery is the bêche-de-mer fishery of the Western Province, and comprises—

• (a) the management area of the Western Province declared under section 4 of the Provincial Ordinance and confirmed by the Solomon Islands Government; and
• (b) all stocks of bêche-de-mer occurring within that area, whether on fringing reef, mid-lagoon patch reef, barrier reef, sea-grass bed, rubble, sand, or any other habitat.

(2) The principal target species are the high-value bêche-de-mer species listed in Schedule 3 and the low-value bêche-de-mer species.

(3) The principal fishing method is free-diving with hand collection; the use of compressed air (SCUBA), hookah, or any other artificial breathing apparatus is prohibited.

(4) The Fishery is a multi-species, multi-gear, small-scale commercial and subsistence fishery conducted from registered boats and, in accordance with customary practice, from non-motorised craft.

Part III — Management Measures

Division 1 — Access and Licensing

7. Access

(1) A person shall not take bêche-de-mer in the Fishery except under, and in accordance with—

• (a) a Fishing Licence; or
• (b) a special permit; or
• (c) a community access arrangement approved under Part 11 of this Plan.

(2) The Director shall, in each licence period, limit the number of Fishing Licences issued under sub-clause (1)(a) to a number sufficient to ensure that the total allowable catch determined under clause 11 is not exceeded.

(3) A Fishing Licence shall not be transferable.

8. Trigger Reference Points

(1) The Director shall, by 31 December in each year, determine, in accordance with the best scientific information available, the following trigger reference points in respect of the Fishery:

• (a) the limit reference point, being the biomass level below which recruitment is likely to be impaired;
• (b) the target reference point, being the biomass level which the management measures are intended to achieve; and
• (c) any species-specific reference points the Director considers necessary for the high-value bêche-de-mer species.

(2) Where a trigger reference point is reached, the Director shall—

• (a) in the case of the limit reference point, close the Fishery or the affected part of the Fishery for the remainder of the licence period and review the management measures;
• (b) in the case of the target reference point, review the management measures and, if necessary, adjust the total allowable catch, the closed season, or the size limits.

Division 2 — Fishing Operations

9. Fishing Operations

(1) An operator shall—

• (a) comply with the size limits set out in Schedule 1, and shall immediately return, in a manner that causes the least possible harm, any bêche-de-mer below the applicable size limit to the place from which it was taken;
• (b) comply with the gear and method restrictions set out in Schedule 4;
• (c) in the case of an aquarium trade specimen, comply with the conditions of the special permit and the size limit applicable under Schedule 1;
• (d) carry on board the registered boat at all times a copy of the Fishing Licence, the operator's logbook, and a current copy of this Plan;
• (e) land all catch at a designated port specified in the Fishing Licence, unless the Director otherwise approves in writing;
• (f) submit to the Director a Fishing Trip Report within 14 days of the completion of each fishing trip, in accordance with Schedule 2; and
• (g) permit a Fishery Officer to board, inspect and search the registered boat at any time.

(2) An operator shall not—

• (a) export, sell or offer for sale any bêche-de-mer unless the operator is the holder of a Processing Licence and the export is made from a place of business registered under paragraph (c);
• (b) land, tranship or process bêche-de-mer at a place other than a designated port or registered place of business;
• (c) carry out Land-based Processing at a place of business that is not registered with the Director for that purpose;
• (d) possess on a registered boat, or at a registered place of business, any bêche-de-mer that does not meet the applicable size limit or that has not been lawfully taken; or
• (e) purchase or receive bêche-de-mer from a person who is not the holder of a Fishing Licence or who is not acting in accordance with this Plan.

Division 3 — Temporal and Spatial Measures

10. Temporal and Spatial Measures

(1) The Director shall, in respect of the licence period, determine—

• (a) a closed season of at least four (4) months, to be specified by public notice, during which the taking of bêche-de-mer is prohibited;
• (b) any closed areas, including spawning aggregation areas identified under paragraph (d), that are temporarily or permanently closed to fishing;
• (c) the total allowable catch for the licence period, by species, not exceeding the level consistent with the target reference point determined under clause 8; and
• (d) a programme for the conduct of Sea Cucumber Spawning Aggregation Surveys, in collaboration with the Provincial Government and customary owners, to identify and protect spawning aggregation areas.

(2) The closed season referred to in sub-clause (1)(a) shall, in the first licence period, be the period from 1 December to 31 March (inclusive) in each year.

(3) The Director shall, by public notice, declare the closure of any area under sub-clause (1)(b) and shall cause the boundaries of the closed area to be marked, where practicable, on charts and notice boards at the relevant landing sites.

(4) A person shall not enter a closed area for the purpose of taking bêche-de-mer.

Division 4 — Catch, Effort and Landings

11. Total Allowable Catch and Individual Catch Limits

(1) The Director shall, on the basis of the best scientific information available and having regard to the trigger reference points, determine by public notice, in respect of each licence period, the total allowable catch by species.

(2) Where the total allowable catch for a species is reached, the Director shall, by public notice, close the Fishery in respect of that species for the remainder of the licence period.

(3) The Director may, by endorsement on a Fishing Licence, fix an individual catch limit for an operator, having regard to the operator's past compliance with this Plan and the need to give effect to the total allowable catch.

(4) An operator shall not take bêche-de-mer in excess of an individual catch limit endorsed under sub-clause (3).

Division 5 — Compliance and Enforcement

12. Compliance and Enforcement

(1) A Fishery Officer may, in addition to the powers conferred by the Act, exercise the powers conferred by this clause for the purpose of enforcing this Plan.

(2) A Fishery Officer may—

• (a) board, inspect, search and remain on board any registered boat;
• (b) enter, inspect and search any registered place of business, landing site, processing facility, vehicle, vessel or aircraft suspected of being used in connection with the Fishery;
• (c) require the production of, inspect, examine and take copies of, any licence, permit, logbook, Fishing Trip Report, invoice, receipt, customs declaration or other document relating to the Fishery;
• (d) take, without payment, samples of bêche-de-mer for the purposes of identification, analysis or evidence; and
• (e) seize, detain and remove any bêche-de-mer, boat, vehicle, equipment, appliance or other thing that the Fishery Officer reasonably believes has been used in, or is the proceeds of, a contravention of this Plan.

(3) A person who—

• (a) obstructs, hinders, threatens or assaults a Fishery Officer in the exercise of the Officer's powers under this Plan;
• (b) fails to comply with a lawful requirement of a Fishery Officer; or
• (c) provides information that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular,

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 50,000 Solomon Islands dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or to both.

(4) A person who contravenes a provision of this Plan for which no specific penalty is provided commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 20,000 Solomon Islands dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both.

Part IV — Indicators to Assess Effectiveness of Management Measures

13. Performance Indicators

(1) The Director shall, in accordance with clause 15, assess the effectiveness of the management measures set out in Part III by reference to the following indicators:

• (a) Stock status — estimated biomass of each high-value bêche-de-mer species relative to the trigger reference points;
• (b) Catch trends — total catch by species, by licence period, relative to the total allowable catch;
• (c) Size composition — proportion of catch above the size limit;
• (d) Effort — number of active operators, number of registered boats, and number of fishing days;
• (e) Spatial distribution — proportion of surveyed reef habitat occupied by bêche-de-mer;
• (f) Spawning aggregation — number, location and condition of identified spawning aggregations;
• (g) Compliance — number of inspections, offences detected, prosecutions commenced and convictions recorded;
• (h) Socio-economic — landed value, export value, employment, and revenue accruing to the Provincial Government.

(2) The Director shall, not later than 30 June in each year, publish an annual report setting out the values of the indicators specified in sub-clause (1) for the preceding licence period.

Part V — Monitoring, Reporting, Assessment and Revision

14. Monitoring and Data Collection

(1) The Director shall, in consultation with the Provincial Government, establish and maintain a programme for the collection of data in respect of the Fishery, including—

• (a) catch and effort data submitted by operators under paragraph 9(1)(f);
• (b) biological data, including species composition, size composition, sex ratio and gonad condition, collected at landing sites and from processing facilities;
• (c) the Sea Cucumber Spawning Aggregation Surveys referred to in paragraph 10(1)(d);
• (d) vessel monitoring system data, where the registered boat is fitted with a vessel monitoring system; and
• (e) independent fishery-independent surveys conducted at intervals of not more than three (3) years.

(2) An operator shall keep an accurate and complete logbook in the form approved by the Director and shall produce the logbook on demand to a Fishery Officer.

15. Reporting, Assessment and Revision

(1) The Director shall, not later than 31 March in each year, prepare an annual report in respect of the Fishery, which shall include—

• (a) a summary of catch, effort and biological data collected under clause 14;
• (b) an assessment of stock status by reference to the indicators in clause 13;
• (c) recommendations for the revision of management measures, where appropriate; and
• (d) a statement of the level of compliance with this Plan.

(2) The Director shall, not later than five (5) years after the commencement of this Plan, and thereafter at intervals of not more than five (5) years, conduct a comprehensive review of this Plan and shall publish a report of the review.

(3) The Director may, at any time, by public notice, vary a measure referred to in paragraph 10(1)(a), (b) or (c) where, on the basis of the best scientific information available, the Director considers that the variation is necessary to give effect to the objectives of this Plan.

(4) A variation under sub-clause (3) shall take effect on the date specified in the public notice.

Part VI — Relationship with Other Relevant Fisheries Management Plans and Applicable Provincial Ordinances

16. Relationship with Other Instruments

(1) This Plan shall be read and construed as one with the Act, the Regulations, and the Provincial Ordinance.

(2) In the event of any inconsistency between this Plan and any other management plan made under the Act, this Plan shall, in respect of bêche-de-mer taken in the Fishery, prevail.

(3) The Director shall, in the administration of this Plan, consult and cooperate with the Provincial Government, customary owners, and holders of Community Fisheries Management Plans, and shall have regard to the management measures contained in any Sub-Plan made under Part 11.

(4) Where a Community Fisheries Management Plan contains a management measure that is more restrictive than the corresponding measure in this Plan, the more restrictive measure shall apply within the area to which the Community Fisheries Management Plan relates.

Part VII — Review of the Management Plan

17. Review

(1) The Minister shall cause a comprehensive review of this Plan to be undertaken not later than five (5) years after its commencement, and thereafter at intervals of not more than five (5) years.

(2) A review under sub-clause (1) shall consider—

• (a) the effectiveness of the management measures in achieving the objectives of this Plan;
• (b) the accuracy of the trigger reference points;
• (c) the social and economic impact of the management measures on the people of the Western Province;
• (d) the adequacy of the data collection and monitoring programme;
• (e) developments in regional and international fisheries management that may affect the Fishery; and
• (f) any other matter the Minister considers relevant.

(3) The Minister shall, on completion of a review, cause a report of the review to be laid before the National Parliament and a copy of the report to be provided to the Western Province Fisheries Council.

Part VIII — Sub-Plans

18. Community Fisheries Management Plans

(1) The Director may, on application by a community or customary owner, approve a Community Fisheries Management Plan (a Sub-Plan) in respect of an area of the Fishery.

(2) A Sub-Plan shall not be approved unless it is consistent with the Act, the Regulations, this Plan, and the Provincial Ordinance.

(3) A Sub-Plan may, with the written consent of the Director and the Provincial Government, contain management measures that are more restrictive than, but not inconsistent with, the corresponding measures in this Plan.

Schedules

Schedule 1 — Size Limits

Note: For species of the genera Holothuria and Thelenota, weight is determined after removal of the gut, gonad and respiratory tree, in drained condition. For all other species, weight is the wet drained weight of the whole animal.

Schedule 2 — Fishing Trip Report

The Fishing Trip Report shall be in the following form, or in such other form as the Director may, by public notice, approve:

1. Operator name and Fishing Licence number;
2. Registered boat name and registration number;
3. Departure date and time; return date and time;
4. Designated port of departure and designated port of landing;
5. Fishing locations (village, reef, GPS coordinates where available);
6. Number of divers and number of dives;
7. Catch by species (in number of individuals and wet weight);
8. Number of individuals returned alive below the size limit, by species;
9. Observations on habitat condition and any sightings of predators, spawners or aggregations;
10. Operator's signature and date.

Schedule 3 — High-value Bêche-de-mer Species

1. Holothuria fuscogilva — white teatfish;
2. Holothuria whitmaei — black teatfish;
3. Thelenota ananas — pineapple sea cucumber;
4. Thelenota anax — amberfish;
5. Holothuria scabra — sandfish;
6. Stichopus herrmanni — curryfish;
7. Holothuria nobilis — black teatfish (Pacific);
8. Holothuria lessoni — golden sandfish;
9. Holothuria sp. (variant) — any other species designated by the Director under the definition of "high-value bêche-de-mer species".

Schedule 4 — Gear and Method Restrictions

1. The use of SCUBA, hookah, or any other compressed-air or artificial breathing apparatus is prohibited.
2. Collection shall be by free-diving and hand collection only.
3. The use of any chemical, explosive, poison, or stupefying substance is prohibited.
4. The use of any net, trap, spear, hook, or other mechanical device for the taking of bêche-de-mer is prohibited.
5. Bêche-de-mer shall not be processed at sea; processing shall take place only at a registered place of business.
6. Each operator shall, at all times, carry on board the registered boat a competent first-aid kit and a recognised dive-safety flag.

Drafting Assumptions and Outstanding Matters

1. Size limits (Schedule 1). The drafting instructions did not specify numerical size limits. The values used in Schedule 1 are based on the minimum wet weight (drained) limits customary in Pacific island bêche-de-mer management and are aligned with regional standards (SPC and CITES Notifications). They are placeholders for confirmation against the National Size Limit Guidelines once available.
2. High-value species list (Schedule 3). The list is drafted by reference to species commonly traded as "high value" in the Pacific bêche-de-mer trade. A definitive check against the Solomon Islands CITES Annual Export Quota Notification and the species list in the Western Province Fisheries Ordinance is recommended prior to settlement.
3. Closed season dates. Paragraph 10(2) sets the initial closed season as 1 December to 31 March. This corresponds to the period of peak spawning activity for the principal species and is the closed season applied in comparable provincial plans; it is to be confirmed with the Western Province Fisheries Council.
4. Total allowable catch. The drafting instructions did not specify a numerical TAC. Clause 11 accordingly provides the framework for the Director to determine the TAC annually on the basis of best available science.
5. Provincial revenue share. The drafting instructions do not specify the share of licence fees or other revenue accruing to the Provincial Government. It is recommended that this Plan be read with the Provincial Ordinance and the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Fisheries Revenue Sharing.
6. Penalties. The maximum penalties in clause 12 are expressed in Solomon Islands dollars and are aligned with the penalty range in section 60 of the Act; final figures are to be confirmed.
7. Review period. The five-year review period in clauses 15(2) and 17(1) is the standard period for management plans under the Regulations; to be confirmed.
8. Community Fisheries Management Plans. Part 11 provides a framework for Sub-Plans. The detailed procedure for the making, approval and variation of Sub-Plans is to be set out in a separate instrument made under the Act.

End of the Western Province Bêche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan 2025.