CODO workshop report

CODO FISHERMEN CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP REPORT 2002

TOT WORKSHOP IN MUDUG AND MIDDLE SHABELLE REGIONS

The Coastal Development Organization (CODO) implemented successfully a fishermen Training of Trainers (TOT) Project in at Wah-weyn village of Mudug region in 2002 to build the capacity of Somalia fishermen and the fishing industry at large.

TOT PROJECT IN MUDUG REGION

The Coastal Development Organization (CODO) implemented successfully a fishermen Training of Trainers (TOT) Project in at Wah-weyn village of Mudug region and Adalle district of Middle Shabelle region in July 2002, to build the capacity of Somalia fishermen and the fishing industry at large.

Project Main Objective

Somali fishermen become informed of the importance of fishing and fishing industry issues – including winds and foreign vessels fishing in the field response, deforestation and unsustainable resource exploitation – and learn skills to deal with on such issues with impact, in order to raise awareness among Somali fishing industry societies and improve their capacity to withstand climate shocks. They also learn other essential skills for operating as a fisherperson in Somali waters, including personal security and safety skills.

Main Activities

• Fishing methods
• Robe making/ mending.
• Types of fish
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Inshore-fishing
• Off-shore fishing
• Fish handling at sea
• Fish processing (drying and salting)
• Personal security

Beneficiary Group Direct or Indirect

• •Up to 60 fishermen based at Wah-weyn village of Mudug region and Addalle district of Middle Shabelle rion in Somalia, who was receivedcapacity building training for TOT (Training of Trainers).
• • Somalia fishing industry society, who will gain greater understanding of professional fishing system and technical development issues for fishing industry through improved fishing knowledge.

Fishery communities' structure

The main fishery areas are several main zones, based on major cities and towns: Kismayo, Barawe, Marka, Mogadishu, Warshek, Adale, Mareg, Wahwayn, Elhur, Hobio, Eil, Bargal, Las Korey and Berbera. Fishermen communities are largely made up of traditional fishermen, living in about 45 fishing villages and towns all along the coast from the Kenyan territorial watar to Djibouti,

Fishermen fully engaged (primary sector) in artisanal and industrial fisheries are estimated at about 30 000. In addition, part-time fishermen seasonally engaged in the fishery sector are estimated at about 60 000. Also, due to the civil wary, there have been internal displacements, which have affected some parts of the coastal fishery communities, especially along the Benadir, Lower Shabelle, Galgadud, Mudug and Lower Juba regions, and most of the fishing communities have either fled across the Kenyan border, Yemen or have fled and resettled in other regions of the country where they felt safe.

Fishery Sector Status Trends

During the last twelve years, (1990-2002) both artisanal and industrial fishery sectors have progressed to a point of almost total development, assisted by several bilateral and multilateral investments, covering the entire coastline, Pre-war, major shore-based installations servicing fishery communities were extensive. Following the civil war of 1991, which left the entire fishing infrastructure in ruins, most of the fishery cooperatives are again operational all along the coastline, but while retaining their fishing skills, most of them have lost their fishing equipment and are in a poor state, and require skills, training and new fishing gear.

The state of the fishery resources, on which both the artisanal and the industrial sectors depend on are small Somali cooperatives who can't handle all fishing activities required, however, it is thought that the inshore marine resources, which are mainly exploited by the artisanal sector, are lightly exploited. In contrast, fishery resources exploited by both the artisanal and the industrial sectors have declined in the past few years, while the industrial sector's marine fishery resources have also shown heavy decline, indicating that these resources might have been overexploited.

Brief story of Somalia Fishing Industry

Marine fisheries

The marine fishery sector comprises two distinct separate parts: the artisanal sector, which operates in inshore areas, and accounts for most of the landings (60%), and the industrial sector, which accounts for about 40% of total fishery production.

Artisanal sector

Statistics on the annual landings from the artisanal fishing fleet are incomplete, and only rough estimates are available. With the introduction of 500 mechanized boats in the early 1970s, the annual catch increased from about 5 000 t to a peak of 8 000 t in 1975. However, due to the lack of maintenance and spare parts for the new boats that had been distributed to the fishermen, about two-thirds were out of operation after only two years, and, as a direct consequence, by the late 1970s annual fish production was back to 5 000 t.

However, annual artisanal fishery production between 1980 and 1985 varied from a minimum of 4 000 t in 1980 to a maximum of 7 724 t reported in 1984. At the same time, it is difficult to estimate to what extent the civil war affected annual artisanal fishery production. However, total catches and landings were estimated at about 14 850 t. The major part of the catch is marine finfish (14 000 t), with some 250 t of freshwater fishes, 350 t of tropical spiny lobsters and 250 t of cephalopods. Landing sites are situated in the north, northeast and south of the country, and the three areas contributed 38%, 37% and 25% of total artisanal fishery production in 1980.

The artisanal fishing fleet is composed of 5 m houris, which are simply canoes, usually operated with two paddles, but sometimes with a 5 hp outboard engine; 6.4 m glass reinforced plastic (GRP) boats fitted with 10–15 hp inboard engines or 10–15 hp outboards; and 8.5 m GRP boats fitted with 20–30 hp inboard engines. The last-named are the most popular, and much used by the artisanal fishery sector as they are very strong, long-lasting and very effective, although the most expensive. They are all locally made by several privately owned boatyards in the country. The artisanal fishing fleet is estimated at about 650 motorized GRP boats of 6.4 m and 8.5 m, about 380 traditional sail boats, and about 2 /800 houris (canoes). Unfortunately, most of the motorized boats (about 60%) are out of order due to lack of spare or replacement parts and other equipment.

The fishing gear employed by the artisanal fishery is simple and effective, consisting of handlines, gill nets and longlines. The canoe-based fishermen, since their boats are too small for other types of fishing gear, use handlining. However, mechanized boats also carry handlines to be used during idle periods, especially after setting gill nets or drift nets. Longlines are also used for shark, tuna and other big fish species like king mackerel, which are the most popular and most favoured species in the country. Gill nets are used as drifts or bottom-set nets, with mesh sizes in the 150–200 mm range and mainly used for shark species.

In general, the pelagic fish stocks in the Somali EEZ are estimated to be capable of providing sustainable annual catches of the order of 200 000 t, based on several fish surveys conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Because of the known pelagic fish resources, which are large, and tuna and mackerel species, which have high unit values, the long-term development of these resources could be of vast importance to the economy. These main groups are considered below.

Large pelagic stocks

The large pelagic species are tuna and big mackerels, mainly yellowfin tuna, longtail tuna, bonito, skipjack tuna, and Spanish mackerel, They are usually caught in inshore waters; their seasonal variations in abundance are considerable, confirming the oceanic migratory pattern of these species. There are two peaks in the landings: in November and in March. However, during the southwest monsoon, their abundance is assumed to be low. They also make important contributions to artisanal fishery production. The primary season for Spanish mackerel is March–June, and for tunas it is October–November. These stocks are lightly exploited by the artisanal fishery sector, but are heavily exploited by the industrial fishery sector, mainly by foreign-flag distant-water fishing fleets, and it is possible that they are overexploited. The foreign vessels compete with the artisanal fishermen, by coming close inshore and inflicting losses, including physical confrontation between the two sides which has led to gear losses and at times to loss of life.

Small pelagic stocks

The small pelagic fish species of interest are Indian oil sardinella, rainbow sardine, scads, and, to a less extent, anchovies, Their main distribution areas are off the northeast coast, and part of these stocks make seasonal migrations into the regions between Ras Mabber and Ras Asseir. Outside these two regions they are scattered and do not form a basis for any fishery. They are also exploited by a great number of foreign-flag vessels from distant-water fishing fleets, as well as by national deep-water vessels. The states of the stocks are unknown, and catch reports are unreliable. Their seasonal abundance is estimated at between 120 000 and 200 000 t.

Demersal species

There are several hundred demersal fish species taken by the artisanal fisheries. Diversity is highest in the coral reef region from Adale to the Kenyan border. The main commercial species groups are scavengers, groupers, snappers, grunts, and seabreams, Of less importance are threadfin breams, lizard fish, and goatfish, These commercial demersal species make important contributions to the artisanal fishing sector all along the coast. Accessible stocks are estimated at about 40 000 t of large demersal species, and 30 000 t of sharks and rays. Except for sharks, demersal stocks have been lightly exploited by the artisanal fishery sector. Owing to their very limited migration, these species can support a year-round fishery. Also, sharks and rays play an important role in Somali traditional fishery. They often represent 40% of total artisanal fishery production (especially in the southern and central areas).

Development

While major capital investments are required to re-develop the entire fishery industry, including processing and marketing aspects, there is a primary need for assisting the fishery communities to regain their means of livelihood, and strengthen their capacity to earn income and to generate employment.

For more information about the workshop and CODO ingeneral please don't hesitate to contact us the below address;

Contact address.

Coastal Development Organization (CODO),

Tell: +25215584557 or +254721459367

Email: coastalorg@yahoo.com, coastalorg@gmail.com