Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF)
The Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF Japan) was established in 1973 with the aims to build, maintain and enhance mutual-benefiting relationships in the fisheries field between Japan and coastal countries. OFCF Japan has established strong relationships with more than 140 countries, regions and international organizations by way of extending fisheries-related technical/economic cooperation and providing technical/management trainings for the development and promotion of their coastal fisheries and for the effective management of international marine resources conducted by the regional fisheries management organizations.
Currently in Solomon Islands, there are two projects and one programme are conducted as below.
1. Fisheries Developing Assistance for Pacific Island Nations-Solomon Islands (FDAPIN-SI).The FDAPIN-SI project has been continued for some 30 years in Solomon Islands. The project is for annual inspection and repair (or replace with brand new equipment if necessary) of essential inshore fisheries-related equipment such as ice making machines, generators, etc., mainly at provincial fisheries centres to facilitate and maintain effective and marketable inshore fisheries in Solomon Islands.
2. Project for the Resource Management of Sea Cucumbers in Solomon Islands. This project has been continued in Solomon Islands for 10 years since 2010 for establishing effective methods for the stock enhancement and resource management of highly important export commodity, sea cucumbers. The project specifically deals with peanutfish (dragonfish, Stichopus horrens) as a species for case study because of its high market values and relatively well reserved stock in the country at the commencement of the project. Research and experimental works are being carried with promising results at two study sites that have relatively easy access from Honiara, aiming the near-future country-wide dissemination of expertise and methods obtained through the project.
3. Advisory Programme for Sustainable Use of Fishery Resources. This programme is to promote worldwide the concept of sustainable use of fishery resources and introduce proper resource management measures at international fora. The advisors dispatched to related countries provide advice on essential and appropriate resource management measures based on scientific evidences, in order to realize sustainable use of fishery resources.