Project supports artisanal fisheries

An artisanal fisheries development project in Mozambique's coastal provinces of Nampula, Zambezia and Sofala has brought employment and social services to a number of communities, according to an assessment report. The initiative, funded by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Belgium Survival Fund, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the government of Mozambique, has the potential to benefit some 500,000 people in 290 coastal communities either directly or indirectly. The Sofala Bank Artisanal Fisheries Project is focused on helping communities that depend on fishing to diversify their techniques, increase production, reduce post-catch losses and add value through improved processing techniques. Apart from providing skills training and financial services, the programme seeks to "empower communities to take control of the planning, implementation and management of their own development activities", said an IFAD project brief. IFAD noted that the provinces where the project is being run "are among the poorest provinces in the country, isolated and largely cut off from the nation's overall economy", and that "these areas lack communications and social infrastructure, such as clean water supplies, health facilities and schools". The initiative, which began in 2002 and will end in 2008, aims to ease the constraints faced by people trying to generate income from fishing. "These include a lack of fishing equipment and finance to purchase it; non-optimal fishing techniques; competition (sometimes illegal) for the same resources from the semi-industrial fleet, poor fish-processing techniques and a lack of access to markets. Fisherfolk in these areas also lack the knowledge, skills and organisation necessary to best manage their social and economic activities in an effective and dynamic manner," IFAD said. Some 26,000 fishermen and their families, a total of about 130,000 people, will benefit directly from project interventions such as skills training. "In addition, an estimated 2,300 fish traders, as well as fish processors, boat builders, craftspeople and artisans, will benefit from the project," IFAD noted. A recent field report assessment by NORAD commented on the importance of fish to the Nampula coastal region's economy, which produces 40 percent of national output. It is also an important source of protein for "55 percent of the poorest quintile [of the population], who eat fish on a weekly basis; and it is vital for unemployment and income along the coast (where agriculture suffers from poor sandy soils)". This was highlighted during a visit to an area where 3,000 workers had lost their jobs in the cashew nut industry in the mid-1990s. The assessment report noted that the "building of water posts [for public access to potable water], clinics and schools is an important part of the project", and that "while people were pleased with this, both clinics and schools suffered from limited follow-up from relevant government authorities". Clinics and schools were under-resourced in terms of personnel and equipment, such as medical kits, tables, chairs and books. FISHERY DEVELOPMENT Fishery development activities are primarily conducted by extension officers and focus on changing post-harvest activities, such as processing and the monitoring of fish resources. One of the main challenges facing project coordinators is convincing fishermen of the destructive nature of mosquito nets, which are often used to catch small and juvenile fish, because the practice could have a negative impact on fish resources in future. "This poses a dilemma - small fish are easiest to preserve, cheapest and most accessible to the poorest parts of the population along the coast. Boats and gill nets (being common in most other artisanal fisheries in Africa) are only used to a limited extent," NORAD found. One of the major components of the project is the establishment of savings clubs for fishermen and fish traders. The clubs usually consist of about 20 members who pool resources and lend sums of around Meticais 500,000 (about US $25) to individual members during meetings, for a repayment period of six weeks at an interest rate of 20 percent. NORAD researchers noted that most of the savings clubs are still going and only a small percentage had failed, as "checks and balances [are] meticulous, and everything is carefully noted" during club meetings. The lack of access to markets has been a long-standing and major constraint for fishermen and traders. Researchers noted that "many fishermen and local traders argued that their most serious problem was access to markets" and that "in some villages there was simply no one to buy, particularly fresh fish and shrimp". "In this context, the project support to the reconstruction of feeder roads from villages to main roads ... [is] very important. Such roads not only make it possible for the villagers to transport fish to markets, but have also attracted traders to settle in the villages. In one case, a South African has put up a camp with freezer equipment, buying shrimp from local traders on a commission basis," NORAD found. Besides practical development assistance, the project also aims to assist in framing policies better suited to the challenges currently facing artisanal fisherfolk.