Programme for Strengthening Fisheries Management in ACP Countries (ACP Fish II)

Description:

The ACP Fish II is the second phase of an EU programme, which has as its overall objective “to contribute to the sustainable and equitable management of fisheries in ACP countries”. The ACP Fish II aims to foster improved institutional capacity for fisheries and aquatic resources management. It specifically addresses knowledge requirements for sustainable management in ACP countries at all levels of decision-making.

Objectives and Outputs:

The overall objective of the Programme is to contribute to the sustainable and equitable management of fisheries in ACP countries, while the specific objective is to strengthen fisheries sectoral policy development and implementation in ACP Countries. The expected project outputs are: improved fisheries policies and management plans at the regional and national levels; reinforced control and enforcement capabilities; reinforced national and regional research strategies and initiatives; developed business supportive regulatory frameworks and private sector investment; and increased knowledge sharing on fisheries management and trade at the regional level.

Status of Project:

Implementation of the project, which will be managed under decentralized management through a Programme Management Unit (PMU) based in Brussels and a set of Regional Facilitation Units (RFUs) located in Belize (CRFM Secretariat), Gabon, Senegal, Uganda, Mozambique and Fiji has commenced.  In relation to the Caribbean the first activity, a Regional Needs Assessment Workshop was held in Belize on 27-28 October 2009. 
 

The First Meeting of the ACP Fish II Steering Committee was held on 29 January 2010 at the ACP Secretariat in Brussels to review the activities carried out during the start-up phase and the results of the regional needs assessment workshops. The Meeting also reviewed and adopted the first operational Programme Estimates (PE1). A second round of assessment workshops, which would provide opportunity to elaborate more specifically an agreed course of implementation, would be convened shortly, with the one for the Caribbean which was re-scheduled to July 2010, having being postponed to dates to be determined.  The Project Identification Workshop would be held in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.

In May 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture, Belize, Agriconsulting Europe SA (AESA), Brussels, (project implementing agency) and the CRFM Secretariat, Belize City was signed for office space on the ground floor of the CRFM Secretariat Office for the ACP Fish II Programme, Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU) Caribbean Office.

In the meanwhile, based on discussions with Chief Fisheries Officers / Directors of Fisheries of CARIFORUM Member States, RFBs and donor agencies, the Regional Manager has been drafting the regional and national project request report.  Member States and RFBs which have not completed and submitted their requests should do so urgently to the RFU.  This draft report will assist in determining the allocation of funds and project activities for the Caribbean when completed.

CRFM / JICA Formulation of a Master Plan on Sustainable Use of Fisheries Resources for Coastal Community Development in the Caribbean

Description:

The Study aims to analyze and propose options for a comprehensive resource management approach in the Caribbean region that may include limited entry to coastal fisheries, diversification of the industry, and promotion of the optimal use of fisheries resources with cooperation between government and communities. The specific objectives are: (i) understanding the situation in fishing and rural village development, needs of community members, and development possibilities and constraints; (ii) formulating a master plan for the sustainable use of fisheries resources in the region that includes a coastal resource management scheme with cooperation between government and communities, and recommends practical resource management activities; (iii) identifying effective schemes for fishery resources management and sustainable development, and verifying the feasibility of these schemes with the implementation of pilot studies; and (iv) enhancing policy making and problem analysis capabilities of CRFM Secretariat and Fisheries Department staff as well as fishers’ organization personnel through various studies, including the implementation of pilot studies.

The Study will address the following components:

1. Pelagic resource development and management.
2. Aquaculture development policy formulation.
3. Regional fisheries database development.
4. Support for community-based management (including sedentary resource management).
5. Education and Training in the component fields in the CARICOM States.

Outputs:

The expected outputs are: (i) a Master Plan on Sustainable Use of Fisheries Resources for Coastal Community Development in the Caribbean; (ii) Reports of Baseline and Pilot Studies conducted during the Study; and (iii) transfer of technology to the relevant institutions and staff of CRFM Member States and Secretariat during the course of the Study.

Status of the Project:

The Scope of Work was signed by the CARICOM Secretariat, JICA and CRFM Secretariat in December 2008. A Pre-inception mission was undertaken during May 2009 by the Japanese consulting firm, IC Net Limited, and an Inception Report, which sets out the background and purpose of the study and the methods of implementation was prepared in June 2009 and circulated to member states. The field aspects of the baseline survey has been completed and the national and regional reports are being finalised.

The First Steering Committee Meeting was held on December 3 – 4, 2009, to review the progress of project implementation to date and the preliminary Master Plan; and identify and shortlist the pilot projects.

CARICOM/CRFM/Spain Project: Diagnostic Study to Determine the Poverty Levels in Fishing Communities in Selected CARICOM/CRFM Member States

Description:

This Project will undertake a diagnosis of the socio-economic and demographic situations in fishing communities in selected CARICOM/CRFM Member States, especially as it relates to the determination of poverty levels in these communities, and its effects on the quality of life and community structures, in order to identify suitable models for planning and implementing alternative livelihood programmes and alleviate poverty in fishing communities. It is being funded by the Government of Spain under the CARICOM/Spain Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement.

Objectives and Outputs:

The objectives of this project are to organize a diagnostic study to determine the levels of poverty in fishing communities in selected CARICOM/CRFM Member States and develop models for planning and implementing alternative livelihood programmes suited to their socio-economic and natural environments; and to identify the demographic and socio-economic variables underlying the low standards of living in the fishing communities, and devise means of monitoring and evaluating them to determine the achievements of the poverty alleviation programmes. The expected outputs are: (i) the Diagnostic Study Report, including recommendations and models for planning and implementing alternative livelihood programmes, and the identification of suitable socio-economic and demographic indicators for ongoing monitoring and evaluation; and (ii) Skills in field research (qualitative and quantitative) acquired by field workers from Member States.

Status of the Project:

Implementation on this project commenced in October with a CARISEC/CRFM/Kingdom of Spain Workshop on 08-09 October 2009 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Workshop reviewed: (i) the Terms of Reference for the Project; (ii) the Terms of Reference for a Regional Project Coordinator (iii) documentation relating the methodology to be employed in the survey, including the criteria for the identification of the 10 selected CRFM Member States in which the project is to be conducted; (iv) the timelines for the project activities and the attendant logistics and adjusted these as necessary; and (v) finalised the draft agenda/program, including duration, dates, venue and budget for training workshop for the surveyors.
 

The draft criteria and relevant questionnaires to solicit information needed to aid the selection of the ten countries in which the Study will be conducted were circulated to Member States.  Based on the information received, the following countries were selected - Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.  The selected countries have been notified accordingly.

A training workshop for surveyors to inform them about the study, the surveys that will be undertaken and the subsequent analysis to be carried out on the data obtained; and to provide training in data collection techniques to the surveyors, was convened from 25 to 26 February 2010, in Grenada.

Following the training workshop, and in keeping with the agreed Way Forward, comments on the revised questionnaires and manual to be used in the survey, as well as updated country information, which will assist in the determination of the sample frame for each country, have been provided.  The questionnaires and manual and the software for data entry are being finalized.  The survey is slated to commence by the end of March 2010.  However, due to the CARICOM Secretariat and the donor, Kingdom of Spain (AECID), having to address matters regarding the allocation of funds for the field activities as well as some other aspects of project funding, the start-up of the field survey was unavoidably delayed.  These matters have been sorted out, and the CARICOM Secretariat and the CRFM Secretariat have now concluded an MOU regarding the disbursement of funds for the field activities.  The commencement of the field survey has now been re-scheduled to July 2010.