MAC Regional Aquarium Fisheries Officer Position - Fiji

[John_Brandt]

Regional Aquarium Fisheries Officer (AFO)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

* The Sustainable Management of the Aquarium Reef Trade AFO is responsible for ensuring strong linkages are formed between the selected collection areas, collectors and other marine aquarium industry participants along the chain of custody.
* Responsible for supplying the training programs and manuals as well as training in best practice (fishing, collection and post harvest) methodologies to identified collectors.
* Advise on the development of appropriate training, awareness and other materials for regional, national and community stakeholders ensuring appropriate media, language and content for the socio cultural situations.
* Responsible for monitoring and evaluating in-country collector capacity building activities and assessing thereafter the ability and potential of collectors and collection sites to meet Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) Collection, Fishing and Holding (CFH) and Ecosystem and Fisheries Management (EFM) Standards.
* Contribute to the design of all events, workshops etc. helping to ensure appropriate participatory processes are implemented, including training of reef and other survey methods, training of collectors and so on.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

* BS/BA degree in Marine Fisheries, Biology or relevant field.
* Proven track record in community participation in fisheries development and management, marine resource management, and participatory training and extension methodologies.
* Experience relating to fisheries extension and training and marine resource tenure in Pacific Island settings.
* Experience in training and capacity building at the community and institutional levels.
* Proven track record in communications and preparation of written materials.
* Have at least five years relevant experience in Pacific SIDS
* Fluency in a Pacific language is an advantage
* Ability to travel extensively

REMUNERATION PACKAGE

* An attractive salary package commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered to the successful applicant.
* Health Insurance

The closing date for applications is June 27, 2003. Applicants must provide Cover Letter, CV and the names and full contact details of three referees.

Position based Suva, Fiji.
Relocation Costs for the ideal candidate will be considered.

Application responses can be sent by E-mail to:

David G. Vosseler
Director – Americas and the Pacific
[email protected]

&

Michelle Lam
[email protected]

or by Fax to:

David G. Vosseler
Director – Americas and the Pacific
1-703-823-7990

 

[Anonymous]

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 3:14 pm

The closing date for applications is June 27, 2003

Why even post these now? I might be wrong, but I highly doubt this call for applicants just started 2 days before the deadline. So why post them?

 

[mkirda]

So why post them?

And why the duplicate posts?
I had put these out last week under the subject line: This just in from Coral list...

 

[John_Brandt]

So why post them?

And why the duplicate posts?
I had put these out last week under the subject line: This just in from Coral list...

I know you did Mike, but I couldn't see how a person would be able to find the applications, other than emailing Michelle directly. Look what you posted:

From: Michelle Lam <[email protected]>
Subject: Vacancies in the Pacific Aquarium Trade Management
To: coral-list

Dear all,

Please find attached, three vacancies for a newly funded project to be
based in Fiji - called Sustainable Management for the Aquarium Reef
Trade (SMART).

Cheers
Michelle Lam
Pacific Region Coordinator
Marine Aquarium Council

 

[mkirda]

I know you did Mike, but I couldn't see how a person would be able to find the applications, other than emailing Michelle directly.

Well, if they couldn't find the MAC web site, or couldn't find Google, they probably would have e-mailed her directly... But I suspect that anyone here would have tried the MAC website or Google before that.

Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would have just added a link to these in the previous thread, rather than opening up three new and separate ones. But that's just me.

Not like this is really the target audience for those ads anyway: Coral-list was a better choice, IMO. Only reason I posted the link was to show that MAC was finally getting serious about moving into another country.

When is the post for the Philippines Head Net Trainer vacancy going to appear?
That's what I want to know.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[John_Brandt]

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 3:14 pm

The closing date for applications is June 27, 2003

Why even post these now? I might be wrong, but I highly doubt this call for applicants just started 2 days before the deadline. So why post them?

I posted them the minute I got my hands on them. They had been listed elsewhere previously, and a technical email foul-up with MAC's server caused them to re-list the application. Only on this RDO set of postings, is there a 3 day window of application.

The other purpose of my posting them was to show everyone what a profile of a MAC Staffer might look like. MAC is often portrayed on this forum as a meaningless rinky-dink operation. The common suggestion that MAC is stalled out, sitting on its hands and not extending trainings and presenting fish variety is pure smear propaganda.

 

[mkirda]

The common suggestion that MAC is stalled out, sitting on its hands and not extending trainings and presenting fish variety is pure smear propaganda.

C'mon, John. You have two collection areas right next to each other.
MAC says there will be a third coming on line soon. Guess where? Right next to the other two... You think that the fish variety will be all that different?

I know it won't. Maybe a handful of different species.

Other areas were touted as being coming and would be on-line already.
Somehow we don't hear that much about those areas anymore... Bagac. Palauig. Coron.

It is not a smear compaign as much as it is a recognition of reality.

If it is true that MAC is working on bring new areas on line by extending net trainings and paying attention to fish variety, then tell us the areas being trained and by whom? When is IMS scheduled to come out? These sorts of details would do a lot to show that things actually have progressed since January, that MAC has done something to address the 'massive numbers of mistakes' that David spoke about at IMAC.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[Anonymous]

I find it somewhat interesting that nothing is mentioned about experience in the aquarium industry.

 

[mkirda]

I find it somewhat interesting that nothing is mentioned about experience in the aquarium industry.

It is not an important qualification.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[clarionreef]

Rovers right,
Commercial, experienced aquarium qualifications?
Never has been. Why start now?
Fiji?? Why not...surely its a greater priority then the Philippines and Indonesia right?
Fiji is safe, clean and rinky dink in comparison.
STEVE
PS. Of course, thats where money was available for. Surely is was not a priority ranking coming from MAC right.

 

[dizzy]

It sounds like the dream job for our man Dr. Reef. :wink:

 

[John_Brandt]

What does knowing how to adjust submersible heaters and replace filter cartridges have to do with these positions?

Or, what does knowing how to stock an endcap with calcium supplements have to do with these positions?

Or, what does knowing the difference between a 5500K and a 20,000K rating for metal halide lamps have to do with these positions?

These are fisheries extension positions and have nothing to do with knowing the correct way to set up a Nemo tank, or whatever.

 

[Anonymous]

What does knowing how to adjust submersible heaters and replace filter cartridges have to do with these positions?

Or, what does knowing how to stock an endcap with calcium supplements have to do with these positions?

Or, what does knowing the difference between a 5500K and a 20,000K rating for metal halide lamps have to do with these positions?

These are fisheries extension positions and have nothing to do with knowing the correct way to set up a Nemo tank, or whatever.

I didn't say it should be the only qualification but it would surely help. How can you set up an organization to serve an industry if you don't know anything about said Industry. Knowing which fish to collect, what sizes to collect, etc.

The Sustainable Management of the Aquarium Reef Trade AFO is responsible for ensuring strong linkages are formed between the selected collection areas, collectors and other marine aquarium industry participants along the chain of custody.
* Responsible for supplying the training programs and manuals as well as training in best practice (fishing, collection and post harvest) methodologies to identified collectors.
* Advise on the development of appropriate training, awareness and other materials for regional, national and community stakeholders ensuring appropriate media, language and content for the socio cultural situations.

*Know your customer*

 

[mkirda]

These are fisheries extension positions and have nothing to do with knowing the correct way to set up a Nemo tank, or whatever.

<joke> You don't even have to know the difference between a fish and a chicken!</joke>

I agree with you, John, although I also do see how having knowledge of the trade could prove to be valuable.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[clarionreef]

Guys,
Depending on your perspective in this industry, you may regard commercial, aquarium expertise differently.
To John its filtration and lighting..
To someone else, retail management protocols,
To me it had to do with commercial, aquarium expertise in educating for collecting, handling, holding, disease control, packing and shipping.
Futhermore it means to me the ability to help in ecosystem assessments and survey work, boat handling and diving safety etc.
Real commercial aquarium experts in the South Pacific are most notably Australians [who already have a serious presence in the So. Pacific] and can name every chaetodon on the reef by species latin name instantly. Far better I might add then the Reefcheck Eco Tourist group.
I guess its like the elephant and the blind men. All grab a different part and tell you what an elephant is like. One grabs the tail and says an elephant is like a rope, the other the ear and says its like a fan, etc. etc.
Much of these issues are interpereted in this way.
Steve