JOB DESCRIPTION
| Job Title: | COASTAL FISHERIES SCIENTIST |
|---|---|
| Division/Programme: | Fisheries, Aquaculture & Marine Ecosystems Division (FAME)/ Coastal Fisheries & Aquaculture Programme (CFAP)/ Science Section |
| Location: | Suva, Fiji |
| Reporting to: | Senior Coastal Fisheries Scientist |
| Number of direct reports: | 0 |
| Purpose of role: | To provide scientific and technical support and advice to governments, NGOs, stakeholders and the private sector in planning and implementing coastal fisheries and aquaculture science in support of evidence-based management activities covering finfish, invertebrates and their supporting habitats focused on the five GIZ project target Pacific Island Countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu |
| Date: | July 2026 |
Organisational Context
The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 Members. We work for the well-being of Pacific people through the effective and innovative application of science and knowledge, guided by a deep understanding of Pacific island contexts and cultures (https://www.spc.int/).
SPC's Division of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) capability has been providing scientific and technical expertise to support fisheries management and sustainable development in the Pacific for over 65 years. The goal of SPC FAME is that the fisheries resources of the Pacific island's region are sustainably managed for economic growth, food security and environmental conservation. In pursuit of this goal, SPC FAME provides scientific and management advice to Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and regional agencies to support the management of sustainable oceanic fisheries, coastal fisheries, marine ecosystems and aquaculture development. Along with addressing the challenges in the management of the region's marine resources, there are also significant opportunities to derive greater economic and social benefits from them. Deriving greater benefits from the tuna fisheries, the development of aquaculture in the region, along with alternative livelihoods in coastal fisheries, hold significant potential. SPC FAME provides technical assistance to support PICTs to maximise these sustainable development opportunities in the marine sector and in some parts of the freshwater sector.
SPC FAME is composed of three programmes: the Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme (CFAP); the Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP); and the Marine Ecosystems Programme (MEP). The Director's Office provides implementation support and strategic direction across the three programmes and cross-cutting projects. Working with all 22 PICTs, SPC FAME has strong partnerships with regional, sub-regional and national entities working in the marine and aquaculture sectors. SPC FAME staff are based in New Caledonia, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tonga, with most of the staff being based in New Caledonia.
The SPC FAME CFAP provides science and technical support to PICT governments and administrations to enhance the effective management of coastal fisheries, and the sustainable development of aquaculture and nearshore livelihoods. CFAP assists PICTs to develop scientifically informed and socially achievable coastal fisheries management policies and procedures. CFAP provides PICTs support for sustainable aquaculture, including planning, research and development, aquatic biosecurity and trade, for governments, the private sector, communities and other stakeholders. CFAP assists in developing sustainable nearshore fisheries to provide for food security, sustainable livelihoods, economic growth, assist with climate change adaptation, and address new and evolving challenges to coastal fisheries and aquaculture in the region.
The Coastal Fisheries Scientist is a key position in SPC FAME CFAP, coordinating and implementing the coastal and nearshore fisheries science work of FAME and supporting the CFAP Principal Fisheries Scientist (Coastal & Nearshore Fisheries) in monitoring and evaluating the strategic direction and achievements of the CFAP Science section. The focus of the position will be on the development, refinement and documentation of achievable, robust methodologies to assess and monitor the status of locally-prioritised coastal fishery stocks in relation to their sustainability and to work with FAME information and data activities in estimating production, and to provide support to the Management and Aquaculture sections, and FAME more broadly, in their work of advising SPC's Pacific Island clients in making evidence-informed decisions.
Key Result Areas (KRAs):
KRA#1: Provide support and training to PICT members to enhance science capacity and capability in coastal living resources data collection, entry, quality control, analysis, interpretation and reporting in support of sustainable management.
KRA#2: Contribute to the design and implementation of assessments of coastal living resources, the development and application of innovative tools and approaches for data collection, data management and reporting to inform coastal fisheries management.
KRA#3: Promote inter-agency networking and cross-sectoral collaboration with partners in coastal fisheries and aquaculture science in support of evidence-based management.
KRA#4: Contribute to Section administration and communication.
The performance requirements of the Key Result Areas are broadly described below
| Jobholder is accountable for | Jobholder is successful when |
|---|---|
| KRA#1: Provide support and training to PICT members to enhance science capacity and capability in coastal living resources data collection, entry, quality control, analysis, interpretation and reporting in support of sustainable management. (35%) - Develop coastal fisheries survey (independent and dependent) training materials for countries through needs-based stakeholder consultations, taking into account gender, culture and human rights in the country or territory. - Conducts training of local staff in-country and/or online in all areas of data collection, data management, analysis and reporting for coastal fisheries and associated habitats. - Ensure there are no gender or social inclusion barriers to training activities. - Supervise and oversee training and mentoring of Pacific Islands Fisheries Professionals (attachments) and other attachments as needed. | - Local, in-country staff are adequately trained to design appropriate sampling programmes for assessing their coastal fisheries and associated habitats. - Training enables participants to collect, analyse, interpret and report on all data collected by sampling programmes. - PICT-specific training materials are developed that are gender and culturally appropriate and respect human rights. - Pacific Islands Fisheries Professionals and/or other attachments are given a broad range of coastal fisheries science training and professional experience. - Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are developed for data analysis and training standards. - Findings from monitoring and assessment pathways in SOPs are integrated into management advice. |
| KRA#2: Contribute to the design and implementation of assessments of coastal living resources, the development and application of innovative tools and approaches for data collection, data management and reporting to inform coastal fisheries management. (30%) - Develops and designs surveys based on standardised methodologies and lessons learned. - Promotes the standardisation of data collection and assists with the expansion of standardised data collection and/or monitoring systems for coastal fisheries (finfish, invertebrates, habitat and catch and effort) and programmes at the national level, ensuring these are in line with management needs of each country or territory - Provide input and support to the development and implementation of data systems, tools and approaches that will improve data collection and monitoring of coastal fisheries at the national and regional levels. | - Progress is made towards standardisation of national data collection across the region for coastal finfish and invertebrate fisheries and associated habitats. - Monitoring programmes for coastal finfish, invertebrate and associated habitats are established and operational. - Information gaps are identified, and systems are developed to address them. - Appropriate resource status advice is provided and accepted by PICTs. - Advice provided is context appropriate and understood by members and/or other relevant parties. |
| - Support PICTs to analyse available scientific data on coastal finfish and invertebrate fisheries and associated habitats to provide updates on the status of coastal fishery resources. - Identifies gaps in scientific information needs and availability at the PICT level so that programmes and systems can be developed to address these needs. - Ensures that all advice provided is in a simple, succinct and clear format for ease of understanding. | - Assessments and problem solving are undertaken using the latest scientific knowledge and tools available and integrating this with local ecological knowledge where possible. - Assess coastal fisheries data needs for Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tuvalu – identify gaps via ministry consultations (fisheries, environment, planning). - Evaluate the contribution of women's fishing activities for invertebrates via Ikasavea monitoring, with a Fiji and Solomon Islands focus. |
|---|---|
| KRA#3: Promote inter-agency networking and cross-sectoral collaboration with partners in coastal fisheries and aquaculture science in support of evidence-based management (20%): - Liaises, encourages collaboration and works with national, regional and international organisations, research institutes and NGOs on coastal finfish and invertebrate fishery issues. - Develops and promotes collaboration with other sections/programmes/Divisions within SPC on issues such as food security, small-scale livelihoods, climate change adaptation, etc. | - Good working relationships are established with other organisations and NGOs - Extensive regional network of complementary experts is developed and nurtured. - Opportunities to leverage support and collaborations both within and outside of SPC are successively sought out and implemented. - Professional expertise requested and provided to internal projects or initiatives. |
| KRA#4: Contribute to Section administration and communication (15%): - Works with the Senior Scientist to develop annual work plans and contributes to overall work planning for the Science Section. - Maintains up to date corporate and administrative procedures including training data for all activities undertaken. - Contributes where applicable to Programme, Divisional and Corporate publications, such as Fisheries Newsletters, annual reports, Programme reports to RTMCFA and HoF. - Produces reports for all activities undertaken in the appropriate format for the activity, including technical reports and trip reports, and input to funding proposals, donor reports. - Leads and/or contributes to peer-reviewed scientific publications that highlight results and/or developments of international interest. - Fills in for coastal fisheries science staff and Science Section staff when they are on leave or duty travel, when required. | - Annual work plans and reports for the Section are consistent with the CFAP 5-Year Plan and FAME Business Plan. - Undertake and report on progress according to GIZ grant agreement milestones. - All operations and activities undertaken are fully documented and all administrative tasks completed within the set deadline. - Input or articles are provided for Project, Programme, Division and Corporate publications within the set deadlines. - Trip reports are produced within two weeks of completing an activity - Publications are accepted into peer-reviewed scientific journals. - Acting roles for Science Section staff are successfully fulfilled. |
The above performance requirements are provided as a guide only. The precise performance measures for this job will need further discussion between the jobholder and supervisor as part of the performance
development process. Many of the outputs described here will only be achieved through teamwork. The incumbent will not be solely responsible for achieving them.
Most Challenging Duties Typically Undertaken (Complexity):
- Trying to standardise and collaborate on data collection and monitoring systems for coastal finfish and invertebrate fisheries and their habitats with countries, NGOs and others involved in this area when many want to work in isolation using different approaches.
- Assisting with establishing functional coastal fisheries monitoring programmes with local staff in-country with them taking ownership and conducting the monitoring programme themselves.
- Providing training in coastal fisheries monitoring and data collection, data entry into database and data analysis with local staff, with them being competent in all areas after the training.
- Providing sound scientific advice based on the best available data for management purposes and providing management options. Usually in data-poor situations.
- Working closely and in collaboration with other components of the Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme to achieve joint outcomes and strengthen linkages with other agencies.
- Providing input to the development of national policies and legislation (stakeholder consultation, moderating expectations, assessing technical feasibility, coordination between the different sectors involved, timing to progress different stages).
- Working for extended periods in the field, often in infrastructure-poor situations with limited resources.
Functional Relationships & Relationship Skills:
| Key internal and/or external contacts | Nature of the contact most typical |
|---|---|
| External Key external contacts are: - CROP agencies, government technical staff, NGOs and private sector - Technical partners from regional agencies, NGOs, academic institutions - Consultants | - Liaising, gaining cooperation, reporting - Collaborating, assisting, advising |
| Internal Key internal contacts are: - CFAP Deputy Director, Principal Fisheries Scientist (Coastal & Nearshore Fisheries), Senior Coastal Fisheries Scientist, Principal Fisheries Adviser (Management & Livelihoods) and Principal Aquaculture Adviser - Professional staff and PAs | - Explaining, gaining cooperation, resolving minor conflicts - Liaising, working collaboratively |
Level of Delegation:
Routine Expenditure Budget: Manages up to EUR 75,000 per year.
Budget Sign off Authority without requiring approval from direct supervisor: EUR 50
Person Specification:
This section is designed to capture the expertise required for the role at the 100% fully effective level. (This does not necessarily reflect what the current position holder has.) This may be a combination of knowledge / experience, qualifications or equivalent level of learning through experience or key skills, attributes or job specific competencies.
Qualifications
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - Postgraduate in fisheries science or in a discipline relevant to coastal fisheries assessment (finfish and invertebrates) or equivalent body of knowledge and experience | - Masters or PhD qualification in coastal fisheries science or related field - Current open water SCUBA diving certificate and medically fit and able to dive in a range of environments. |
Knowledge/Experience
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - At least 8 years of direct relevant experience in Pacific Islands fisheries, particularly applied field research for the sustainable management of coastal finfish and invertebrate resources. - Proven experience in designing and implementing standardised monitoring protocols for coastal finfish and invertebrate resources/fisheries and their associated habitat using a range of methodologies (e.g., underwater visual census, market and creel surveys, biological studies, etc.). - Demonstrated capability for collaborating and working in an integrated programme involving colleagues from several different countries and cultures. - Understanding of current Pacific Islands regional coastal fisheries management and science issues, and experience of working with gender issues relating to fisheries. - Excellent communication skills (oral and written) with the capacity to engage scientific, government, public and community audiences. - Excellent cross-culture communication. - Proven ability to work collaboratively and openly within a team dynamic. - Proven ability to design, plan and facilitate workshops and other trainings. - Experience working with MS 365 software, and software programmes for data entry and management. - Experience working with different statistical and mapping software for data analysis. - Experience working in data-poor situations for fisheries assessments. - Willingness and demonstrated capacity to travel and undertake overseas assignments in SPC member PICTs, sometimes under difficult physical conditions. | - A working knowledge of one of the following languages: Bishlama, Fijian, I-Kiribati, Tuvaluan or Solomon Islands Pijin. - Prior experience or involvement with socioeconomic survey work. - Experience using the “R” software environment and the open-source GIS program QGIS or its equivalent. |
Key Skills/Attributes/Job Specific Competencies
The following levels would typically be expected for the 100% fully effective level:
| Expert level | - Significant experience with application of scientific sampling and monitoring methodologies for coastal marine resources and habitats. - Significant experience analysing finfish, invertebrate and habitat data for management purposes. - Significant experience within data-poor assessment situations. - Significant experience with report writing and publication of peer-reviewed studies. - Significant experience leading teams in the field, especially in challenging environments. |
|---|---|
| Advanced level | - Understanding of the appropriate management options for coastal fisheries in general. - Working familiarity with database structures for storage and retrieval of data. |
| Working knowledge | - Understanding of crosscutting issues such as food security and climate change as they affect coastal fisheries. - Coastal fisheries policies, legislation and regulations. - Human rights and gender issues preferably as they relate to coastal fisheries and aquaculture. |
| Awareness | - SPC Regulations and Policies - Broader fisheries and aquaculture management and development issues across the Pacific region - Relevant social and economic issues in the Pacific |
Key Behaviours
All employees are measured against the following Key Behaviours as part of Performance Development:
- Change and Innovation
- Interpersonal Skills
- Judgement
- Promotion of Equity and Equality
- Teamwork
Personal Attributes
- High level of professional integrity and ethics
- Friendly demeanour
- Demonstrated high level commitment to customer service
Change to Job Description:
From time to time, it may be necessary to consider changes in the job description in response to the changing nature of the work environment – including technological requirements or statutory changes. Such change may be initiated as necessary by SPC. This Job Description may also be reviewed as part of the preparation for performance planning for the annual performance cycle.