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FI:FAO/TCP/ERT/2251
Terminal Report, Part II May 1993 PART II. PROPOSED NATIONAL FISHERIES STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME |
This report was prepared during the course of the project identified on the title page. The
conclusions and recommendations given in the report are those considered appropriate at
the time of its preparation. They may be modified in the light of further knowledge gained
at subsequent stages of the project.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not
imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or
constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation
of frontiers.
Major objectives of FAO Project TCP/ERT/2251, “Assistance to Fisheries Development Planning and Resource Management -- Eritrea”, were to assist in devising a comprehensive sector review and related strategy, based on a preliminary frame survey, to serve as a guide for marine and inland fisheries development in the short/medium term. The Sector Review presented as Part I of this report represents a synthesis of the technical and economic assessments conducted by members of the project team, including the draft fisheries legislation also prepared in the course of the mission. Outputs of all component activities were reported in a series of “Sector Studies” as listed in the References Cited section of Part I.
The Review is largely based on information gathered up to mid-December 1992, when the first phase field activities were wound up. In a few instances new points or updates on recent developments were added as the result of information gained during March 1993, when the National Conference was being organised and convened. Since the Eritrean fisheries sector is undergoing rapid change, both in respect to production and post-harvest activities and to institutional adjustments, a totally current picture of circumstances is difficult to achieve. The Review nevertheless aims to present as full and accurate account as possible, consistent with such information as was gathered through observations and survey work, or otherwise made officially available to the project team. Building on its foundation, a contribution to the formulation of an Eritrean National Fisheries Strategy and Development Programme was prepared and constitutes Part II of this report. Its basic elements have already been reviewed by DMRIF officials and were also presented to and approved in principle by participants in the National Conference.
The Strategy first takes stock of the sectoral development opportunities and constraints identified in the Review, and, within the broader context of PGE policy and specifically with regard to sectoral policy, proposes a National Fisheries Development Programme oriented towards the interrelated goals of: increasing the supply of fish as a valuable source of animal protein, to the Eritrean people; improving the incomes and quality of life of fisherfolk communities; and generating foreign exchange through the export of those fish or marine products for which no domestic market exists.
On the basis of the Sector Review in Part I a variety of development opportunities and contraints can be identified. It is important to take an inventory of both before laying out proposals for a programme of actions through which national development objectives for the fisheries sector may be achieved.
The most obvious opportunity for fisheries development in Eritrea lies in the underexploited condition of the aquatic resources of the Red Sea. The strong demand for fishery products, particularly on export markets, and the favourable investment and business climate being fostered by Government, also contribute to prospects.
Whereas much of Eritrea's agricultural production base was seriously affected by the prolonged conflict of the liberation war period and adverse climatic conditions particularly over the last ten to fifteen years, the situation of the Red Sea fisheries remained rather unique. Even though fisheries activities were seriously disrupted by events of war and socio-economic dislocations, the marine resource stocks on which they are based did not disappear or diminish in size from their previous levels; indeed, it is quite possible that they have risen to a certain extent in the absence of sustained fishing pressure.
Although rather modest in scale in comparison to some African maritime states whose fisheries yields are measured in terms of hundreds of thousands of tonnes annually, the Eritrean Red Sea artisanal and industrial fisheries that functioned some three to four decades back produced appreciable amounts of fish, totalling in the range of 20 – 26,000 t/year. Production was far in excess of domestic demand and much of the catch was marketed abroad.
Despite the fact that exact records are not available on present levels of production, it is obvious that with the loss of productive capabilities in terms of the fishing fleet, equipment, infrastructure, and operators that they are miniscule in comparison with what was being realised earlier on. This shortfall, implying the existence of substantially underexploited stocks, translates precisely as a national development opportunity for Eritrea.
Yet the opportunity may be more extensive than that, since there is the possibility that previous exploitation activities were not tapping the resource base at anywhere near the level of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Although comprehensive quantitative survey work remains to be carried out, observers in the past have estimated that MSY may range well beyond the 50,000 t/yr level. While coastal pelagics figure particularly strongly in the computation of such estimates, the role of prime foodfish, lobster, shrimp, and other high value species is taken to be considerable.
Significant proven as well as latent demand exists for various Eritrean fisheries products in regional and overseas export markets. This is borne out by the considerable amount of informal trade that occurs from Eritrean coastal and island communities to points across the Red Sea. Salt-dried shark meat and dried mullet are known to enter food commodity marketing chains on the Arabian peninsula, and reportedly a certain amount of fresh prime reeffish also follows this route. Items such as sharkfin, sea cucumber, and snail nails find their way to assembly markets for onward shipment to destinations in the Far East. Although largely occurring outside of officially sanctioned channels, such trade is nevertheless indicative of a well-established market.
In addition to proven demand, it can be predicted quite plausibly that high value species like reeffish, shrimp, and lobsters would meet with a ready market in Europe and other locations overseas. To a certain extent also domestic and regional buyers of premium products, like international-grade hotels and higher income local and expatriate communities, can be counted as components of latent demand.
Although potential demand on the normal domestic market is less well known, favourable indications are the existence of a core of dedicated fish consumers in the major towns of Massawa, Assab, and Asmara, and the advantageous price of fish in comparison with that of meat. Price differentials are not expected to change in the short to medium term, and may well increase, making fish an ever more attractive alternative. Even if Eritreans traditionally prefer meat in their diet, observations suggest that fish may be an acceptable substitute if presented and prepared in suitable fashion. The incentive of relatively low prices, even if they rise rather higher than their current depressed levels, and the fact that wholesale and retail distribution networks are bound to improve as roads and other infrastructure are upgraded, could enhance the opportunity for fish to play a significantly greater role in supporting national nutritional welfare.
An additional development opportunity for the fisheries sector is provided by Government's orientation insofar as the promotion of investment and private business interests are concerned. Government has explicitly adopted a macro-level policy of privatisation of the economy. As a major instrument of this policy, the Investment Proclamation calls for incentives that include income tax and duty exemptions under certain time limits, provides for broad protections against price controls and the establishment of government monopolies, and also recognises the right of investors and investment projects to hold and utilise foreign exchange. While in need of some clarification, particularly in respect to provisions that may be extended to fisheries as well as agriculture, the Proclamation sets a generally favourable tone for local and international investor participation in the fisheries.
Against the above opportunities for fisheries development in Eritrea must be set multiple constraints to their realisation. These bear on critical areas of institutional planning and management capabilities, inventories of productive equipment and general levels of capitalisation, production and producer prices, fisheries-related infrastructure and services, distribution and marketing, and customary domestic consumer behaviour.
DMRIF organisation and functions
As the PGE department responsible for the administration, planning, and management of the national fisheries, DMRIF has been fortunate in being able to recruit a number of officers who are obviously dedicated to their work and keen to grapple with the difficult challenges of sectoral development that lie ahead. While the Department has been charged with immense responsibilities for the stewardship and exploitation of one of the country's most precious natural resource bases, it has at the same time had to start almost from scratch in many ways, and considerable institutional development and personnel training needs remain to be met over coming years. It is stressed emphatically that unless this strengthening of institutional capabilities and staff establishment skills is effected, virtually all other aspects of planned sectoral development will be seriously if not completely jeopardised.
Knowledge of the resource base
Although various estimates have been made of the resources and productivity of the Eritrean Red Sea, based on catch rates, limited experimental fishing, and extrapolation from other areas in the region, no up-to-date information on the state of the stocks exists. Indeed, there is an enormous knowledge gap that introduces a very disturbing element of uncertainty into the planning process and makes the future rational development of the sector most problematical. Systematic stock assessment/estimate work is urgently needed to provide fisheries planners and managers with more reliable quantitative indications of the overall situation.
Equipment and gear inventories
Detailed survey work along the major fishing areas of the Red Sea coast in late 1992 confirmed the general impressions of previous observers that the artisanal fishery is suffering from extreme equipment and gear availability problems. The fishing fleet is rather aged and nearly one third of the units are out of commission. Most of the fleet comprises motorised houris and sambuks, and it would appear that the national inventory of fishing craft engines, especially of the more popular outboard variety, is rapidly becoming obsolete. The gear kit, principally made up of gillnets and handlines, is also deficient with regard to quantity and variety. The scarcity and condition of equipment and gear within the artisanal sector are part of a wider set of factors that interact in complex ways, each capable of being read simultaneously both as cause and effect of the depressed state of the sector overall. Fishers are seemingly unable to refit their units adequately on the basis of present returns to effort, and local credit facilities, either institutional or informal, are either not available or not easily accessible. Even if the means existed, refitting would be hard to carry out if only local supply sources were to be relied upon. Fishing equipment and other inputs are by and large not available in Eritrea. Most of the national inventory of craft, engines, gear, and other equipment has been obtained from elsewhere.
Production and producer prices
The national artisanal fleet is currently producing at a small fraction of the annual volumes seen three to four decades back. This is certainly not because of any over-exploitation of the stock in the intervening period. What has been witnessed instead is a substantial loss of operating power in the artisanal fishery, along with a total collapse of the modest industrial trawl fishery that used to be based out of Massawa. It is only recently that some mechanised trawling has recommenced on a very limited scale. Low and even marginal production levels are a further sign of the depressed state of sector. On the basis of what can be understood of the financial performance of typical artisanal fishing units, producers did not find it remunerative to operate under the system of price controls in force at Eritrean landing centres before December 1992. The readjustment of controls since then has apparently ameliorated the situation, but it is still not clear if adequate operator margins are being realised.
Aquaculture and inland fisheries
Possibilities for the development of aquaculture and inland fisheries are extremely slight, at least in the short and medium term. Major constraints to development include the low number of reservoirs stocked with fish, low consumption levels in rural areas, water quality and productivity limitations, water supply problems (drought and drying), and lack of easy access to many reservoirs and rural localities where fish farming might be considered.
In terms of marine aquaculture, lack of basic infrastructure (roads, power supply, animal processing plants, etc.), the high salinity of the Red Sea, and the ready and comparatively cheap availability of underexploited marine fisheries resources all pose limitations upon or at least heavily qualify possibilities for development.
Fishing community services and amenities
The extremely poor distribution and condition of infrastructural facilities and services up and down the main fisheries areas of the Eritrean Red Sea coast has manifold negative effects. Fishing villages particularly along the more remote stretches of coastline and on numerous islands have very difficult access problems. On the mainland road links are very rough and involve long distances and are subject to periods of impassibility. Many villages do not have any road links at all, and at most places, mainland or island, catches are evacuated by waterborne transport. Irregular and unreliable transport links of whatever sort pose obvious constraints to fisheries commercialisation. Under such circumstances fishers not only find it difficult to market their catches; they also are cut off from supplies of inputs and services they may need to make their capture operations successful. Baseline survey work confirms that input and provisioning services are only to be found in the large towns of Massawa and Assab. Even in these places, however, availability is very limited. The high dependence on Yemen and Saudi Arabia for all manner of supplies is therefore not surprising.
A further aspect of infrastructural and service deficiency in fishing villages is the lack of social welfare amenities such as convenient and pure sources of drinking water, schools, and health centres. Although these facilities would seem to relate more to quality-of-life rather than technical concerns, there is a critical linkage and this should not be overlooked. Possibilities for investment in and development of social amenities will be constrained to the extent that fishing continues to be a marginal, low-benefit producing occupation. At the same time, local fisherfolk stand the risk of being unable to develop or diversify their lives and enterprises in more productive and rewarding ways under conditions of unrelenting hardship. These circumstances may be posing a particular disadvantage to women, whose very active participation in shore-based “foot-fishing” has clearly been demonstrated by the recent TCP survey work.
Distribution
The absence of transportation infrastructure or, where present, its deteriorated condition, severely hinders the extent to which fish products may be distributed across the country. Towns and settlement areas away from the main Massawa-Asmara road currently have no access to fresh fish supplies whatsoever, and even within Asmara, the country's principal fish marketing and consumption centre, inadequate holding facilities and retail outlets prevent widespread distribution of supplies.
Marketing
It seems likely that recent DMRIF pricing practices acted as a disincentive to existing and potential local fish dealers and retailers in that inadaquate margins were available for absorbing marketing costs. The implications of the readjustments applied in late 1992 are not fully known as yet. But prices are still controlled at each end of the marketing chain, so that producer and trader alike are subject to imposed limits. At both landing site and market outlet levels, buyers and traders require some flexibility to adjust prices according to demand both in terms of quantities and for particular species, and to explore new market outlet possibilities both domestically and within the region. In terms of international exports, as far as is known, no organised marketing networks of any significance yet exist.
Consumer habits
A further constraint on fisheries development in the post-harvest area has to do with consumer habits. Eritreans by and large are not avid or even very practised fish consumers, although there do not appear to be any insuperable barriers to their becoming so. Traditional dietary preference insofar as animal protein is concerned lies with meat. The domestic market for fish products therefore is rather narrow, being confined mostly to people who dwell along the coast and to a comparatively small group of urban residents, apparently of higher socio-economic status, who for reasons of background or cultural acquisition eat fish on a regular basis.
The PGE's approach to the fisheries sector is set within a wider policy context that favours privatisation of the economy insofar as possible as a long-term development. The approach must also of course be elaborated in conjunction with food and agricultural policy in general. While such policy is still evolving and has not yet been articulated in all of its detail, it is clear that the PGE is adopting a pragmatic stance on the restoration of the country's war-torn productive sectors. Insofar as food and agricultural issues are concerned, priority is being given to the attainment of food security through a mix of production for direct domestic consumption and production for export to help ensure, inter alia, that further food security requirements are met. In order to facilitate this objective, maximum emphasis is also being put on the mobilisation and training of a national pool of talent in both public and private sectors to strengthen production activities, and on the provision of supporting infrastructure. Further critical elements of Government orientation include strong commitments to resource conservation and research directed towards practical questions of resource management and sustainability. Environmental restoration and protection runs strongly as a theme in official commentary on the country's development needs and priorities, and thus must be regarded as a
further major policy component, although one that is still to be fully elaborated.
Fisheries policy itself has been formulated with three broad goals in mind, namely:
To increase the supply of fish, a valuable source of animal protein, to the Eritrean people;
To improve the incomes and quality of life of the fishing communities; and
To generate foreign exchange through the export of those fish or marine products for which no domestic market exists.
Official development policy thus involves both an inward orientation -- production for domestic supply, and an outward orientation -- production for foreign exchange. The further objective of seeking to improve the national quality of life could in principle be realised through one or the other of these orientations or both in combination. Again it is noted that reliance is to be placed on private sector initiative insofar as possible, with state involvement in the economy envisaged only in a facilitating and intermediary role.
The task of the TCP Project is to assist through advice with the formulation of a fisheries strategy and development action programme that best accomodates the orientation of PGE policy while building on the opportunities for development and seeking to resolve or work around the various constraints to development as identified through a comprehensive sector review.
The following main development strategy lines are therefore proposed:
Strengthening of fisheries institutions in their capabilities for promoting expanded but carefully planned and managed sustained use development of the sector.
Developing fisherfolk communities through pronounced enhancement of the productivity and profitability of artisanal fisheries enterprises.
Encouraging domestic consumption of fish and fish products in order to create a sharply increased demand on local markets.
Building up production and trade of fisheries products for export as a means of securing foreign exchange earnings for sectoral development and the country at large.
Based on these guides, various components of an action programme are recommended for consideration as set out below. Since it is important to maintain a sense of the priority or sequence with which different actions should be undertaken, a distinction is made between the short-term (ST) period, referring to those actions that deserve attention immediately and over the next one to two years, and the medium-term (MT) or three to five or more year planning horizon. A number of the actions suggested are already receiving attention from DMRIF, or will be addressed to some extent at least by the Semhar Project now in its initial stages of implementation.1 In the following discussion an attempt is made to note the extent to which recommended programme components are being or apparently will be accomodated by ongoing and planned activities. Additional measures or projects that may be desirable to phase into place are also reviewed.
Developing core capabilities and collaborative linkages
| ST | (a)Move to adjust departmental organisation generally by matching staff educational and experiential credentials with post responsibilities, and where relevant creating new units and posts and ensuring specialised training of officers who will be filling these positions. |
| ST | (b) Establish regular mechanism for collaboration and consultation between DMRIF and other institutions with fisheries-related interests at the national, regional, and international levels. |
| ST | (c) In particular, move to set up a Fisheries Advisory Council as soon as possible. |
DMRIF like all other PGE departments has had to be started virtually from scratch. Since the present set-up has to a considerable extent been fashioned as a response to immediate development needs, it is important now for officials to consider the structure and functioning of the department also from a longer term perspective, in accordance with PGE policies and sectoral development objectives.
Preliminary reshuffling could be envisaged, as shown by the diagram in Annex 1. Subject to further discussion and elaboration, such a plan should lead to the establishment and consolidation of a permanent structure, complete in details of its budgetary, staffing, and equipment allocations and ceilings, and in the definitions of internal procedures and terms of reference for its various units. It is extremely important to undertake this exercise on an urgent basis: ideally a workable set-up should be elaborated and implemented as soon as possible after the termination of the present TCP Project, in order to avoid any loss of momentum in the push to strengthen the Department's capabilities to fulfill its planning and management responsibilities for the sector.
An overriding concern for DMRIF should be to avoid the risk of stressing its capabilities by taking on an overly ambitious agenda at this crucial formative stage of institutional development. The various projects that are ongoing or proposed all require the dedication, to a greater or lesser extent, of departmental resources in personnel, time, energy, facilities, and funds for their implementation. This can easily lead to a situation where the Department is so over-extended in its commitments that its effectiveness as a sectoral administrative agency becomes critically weakened. A strategy of gradual but concentrated effort towards development of a strong core of institutional capability in terms of organisation, professional skills, and physical assets may thus be preferred to one that is more diffuse in its tactics and immediate ambitions.
In view of the urgency involved it is recommended that the elaboration of a workable set-up becomes a top priority to be pursued as an immediate follow-on activity to the present TCP Project. This could be done in the context of a new and more comprehensive “Fisheries Planning and Management Project” along the lines suggested in Profile No. 1 (Annex 2). The new project would aim at provision of technical assistance and training across a broad range of areas. In addition to addressing institutional development issues, including special attention to the upgrading of planning, monitoring, control, and information management capabilities, work would support the implementation of various aspects of the National Fisheries Development Programme.
The draft Fisheries Proclamation provides for the establishment of a Fisheries Advisory Council (FAC) whose main function will be to advise on the management and development of fisheries. The FAC is expected to play a central role in harmonising implementation of Government macro-economic policy with regard to the fisheries sector. It should prove helpful in resolving conflict of competencies and “gray areas” between institutions, and be of particular value during the launching period for the fisheries development programme. A recommendation is thus made within the context of formalising the draft Fisheries Proclamation to establish the FAC without delay and prepare related regulations to define and secure its internal rules and budgetary underpinnings.
New department sections
| ST | (a) Establish three new sections in DMRIF for “Planning and Project Co-ordination”, “Resources and Environment”, and “Production and Marketing”. Ensure that necessary staffing requirements are met through recruitment and/or training of suitable officers. |
| ST | (b) Assign the Planning and Co-ordination Section responsibility for charting out, monitoring, and evaluation of the fisheries development process in the country overall, including reassessment of policy in terms of changing circumstances within the sector and the wider national setting. |
Subject to further discussion and elaboration, a new departmental organisational scheme would retain the core administrative services for headquarters and out-station establishments, but would establish three principal technical sections in “Planning and Co-ordination”, “Resources and Environment”, and “Production and Marketing”, together with their respective supporting units. Broad terms of reference for the these units could be envisaged as noted below.
Planning and Co-ordination Section: elaboration of fisheries policy in light of changing sectoral and national circumstances; monitoring of policy instruments; preparation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects, including their local and regional impact; analysis of socio-economic issues and problems; collection and analysis of basic statistical data; preparation of annual development plans and departmental budgets; elaboration of licensing and other access arrangements (e.g. fisheries agreements) based on management plans; regulatory functions; and liaison with other fisheries-related institutions.
Resources and Environment Section: fishery resource monitoring and stock assessment; conduct of biological research on practical questions related to marine and inland fisheries and aquaculture in collaboration with national and international academic/research institutions; attend to environment and coastal zone management concerns; and draft annual management plans for the major fisheries.
Production and Marketing Section: responsibilities for industry development, technology, product handling, processing and quality control, marketing development, and extension and training.
It should be remembered that in the earlier stages of institutional development the functions performed by different DMRIF sections can be grouped together and managed by relatively few individuals. Thus, for example, the regulatory, negotiation, and liason functions of a “Planning and Co-ordination Section” could all be handled by one officer for the time being.
Fisheries legislation
| ST | (a) Finalise and adopt draft fisheries legislation. |
| ST | (b) Identify and formulate priority regulations as necessary. |
| ST→MT | (c) Consult with other relevant Government departments and chart a programme for drafting and enacting maritime zone legislation. On this basis and after careful examination of the cost implications review the need for establishing an enforcement scheme. |
| ST | (e) Verify the legal status of fisher co-operatives/associations, if any, and draft and enact such legislation as required to secure it or to revise it as appropriate. |
The draft fisheries legislation now prepared will have to be reviewed, deliberated upon, and officially adopted in due course, but even upon completion of this process much will remain to be done in terms of making it an effective instrument of management. For this a series of regulations needs to be elaborated. Specific decisions will in all likelihood have to be made, for example, about such issues as permissable gear, catch sizes and quotas, industrial/large-scale fishing operations, and so on. In dealing with such legal questions, DMRIF should seek assistance from existing qualified staff in other departments (e.g. Justice, External Affairs, and Ports and Maritime Transport), who could also be advised through the FAC.
As soon as it is deemed an appropriate time, a review should be carried out with officials from the Department of External Affairs and other relevant departments such as Defence and Energy of the country's needs with regard to maritime zones legislation, including questions of terrritorial sea straight baselines, contiguous zone (if any), and exclusive economic zone or fishing zone (if any).2 Steps should then be taken as indicated to begin the process of drafting and enacting such legislation.
Fisher co-operatives/associations do not seem at present to have clearly designated legal status, even though organisations calling themselves “co-operatives” are now operating and plans are being put into effect under the Semhar Project to work with “associations” in providing input credits.
Procedures through which groups are to be registered, business conducted, and the rights and obligations of members defined need to be properly established as soon as possible. As fisher co-ops functioned to some extent under the former regime, the old institutional arrangements can perhaps be reviewed and suitably revised or adapted to present circumstances.
Enforcement
| ST→MT | (a) Consider plans for monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) activities. |
| ST→MT | (b) Carefully examine the cost implications of any enforcement scheme with a view to adopting modest MCS routines that can be effected with existing staff and facilities. |
| ST→MT | (c) If the need for waterborne patrolling arises, explore possibilities of establishing co-operative and cost-sharing agreements with the Navy and/or the Ports and Maritime Transport authorities. |
Depending upon the evolution of the marine fisheries, particularly with respect to industrial trawling and foreign fishing under license, plans will eventually have to be made for monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) activities. As MCS schemes can involve huge costs, efforts should be made to see how much can be done on a modest basis using existing staff and facilities. Establishment of a fully elaborated MCS scheme will in any event have to wait until such a time that it is deemed appropriate to draft and enact maritime zone legislation. In the meantime Eritrean fisheries authorities may wish to consider adopting lower-key enforcement routines that can be effected with existing staff and facilities, mindful of the truism that “the better the management plan, the fewer regulations [and therefore control and surveillance requirements] needed to implement it”. In this spirit as well, efforts could be directed to promoting, as far as possible, community-based management and enforcement procedures.
If the need for waterborne MCS work arises, DMRIF should explore possible co-operative arrangements with the Navy and/or the Department of Ports and Maritime Transport.
Fisheries statistics
| ST | (a) Possibly as a unit under the planning section, move to establish a properly equipped and staffed office responsible for the systematic collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of fisheries catch, socio-economic, and marketing statistics. |
| ST | (b) Conduct further frame survey work as necessary and on this basis design and implement a Catch Assessment Survey programme for all marine fisheries, taking particular care to collect important data pertaining to processed products and the harvest of the land-based collection or foot fishery. |
A reliable information network is absolutely fundamental to all fisheries planning and management activity, and although DMRIF has started to collect some basic catch and marketing statistics, substantial work is needed to elaborate a suitable system. It is suggested that the project outlined in Profile No. 1 include such work as one of its major component activities. The aim would be to provide appropriate equipment and personnel training to establish a statistics and information unit within the proposed Planning and Co-ordination Section that would be capable of undertaking such critical tasks as:
The “National Fisheries Surveys Programme” (NFSP) planned as a component of the Semhar Project is intended to provide extensive baseline data and other information on different aspects of the fisheries sector, including resource availability and modes of rational exploitation, export and domestic markets and their potentials, and socio-economic characteristics of fisherfolk communities. Obviously the surveys programme activity should be closely co-ordinated or even fully integrated with the effort to establish statistics and information management capabilities within DMRIF.
Fisheries and marine resources research
| ST | (a) Work quickly to develop fish stock assessment and monitoring and other marine resource survey research capabilities in cost effective ways. |
| ST | (b) Conduct ad hoc socio-economic investigations of fishing communities, fishing unit operations, traders and the trade network, and consumer buying and utilisation patterns. |
| ST+MT | (c) Closely co-ordinate research work with the University of Asmara and other regional and overseas institutions with fisheries and marine resource interest, but maintain a distinctly practical, problem-solving orientation in all research activities. |
| ST | (d) Formulate a short/medium term plan for applied research. |
The Department of Marine Biology and Fisheries (DMBF) of the University of Asmara has been involved with Red Sea resources research in the past, and operated a marine science research station at Massawa. DMB along with the University at large has been disrupted by events of the last few years and is now in the process of reconsolidating itself. The Massawa field station was almost totally destroyed by the war.
It is essential now for a research plan to be formulated in co-ordination with DMRIF and other institutions with fisheries and marine research interests. Such a plan should be rationalised according to the priority areas and needs identified in the sector development programme as officially adopted. This is another task that could be addressed with the assistance of the proposed Planning and Management Project (Profile No. 1).
High on the applied research agenda should be the job of improving the fund of knowledge on the exploitable fish stocks and other living resources of the Eritrean Red Sea, so that existing estimates may be verified or corrected as necessary. It is understood that DMRIF has already explored some possibilities for such activity in collaboration with donor agencies overseas. If any survey project work eventuates from these or other initiatives, it should be very carefully thought out in terms of what would be most suitable to Eritrean fisheries development and institutional operational capacities in the long run. Large scale surveys are extremely expensive and very demanding in terms of equipment and personnel requirements, and may not be the most cost effective approach to stock estimation and monitoring work to meet constant planning and management information needs through the years. In the Eritrean fisheries context, institutional strengthening to meet long term needs is of the utmost importance, and an early development of permanent monitoring and analysis routines -- modest and mundane perhaps in comparison with major survey expeditions but far cheaper and replicable over time -- should be kept as a foremost concern.
An Eritrean national fisheries research prospectus would of course have to make provision for a wide array of additional areas for biological, bio-economic, socio-economic investigation. It is reiterated that these should be identified and prioritised on the basis of how practical development concerns can best be served. Reference can again be made to the Semhar Project plans for a “National Fisheries Surveys Programme” in this connection. Consultancies are planned which will deal with the above areas of investigation, with a likely concentration on the region and fishing areas that are covered by the project. While this represents a start, the NFSP must be seen in the context of a wider, nation-wide fisheries research strategy that remains to be elaborated.
Training
| ST | (a) Encourage further training activities for young novice fishers but establish them on a more consolidated methodological and financial basis. |
| ST | (b) Continue present training activities involving local women net-makers but seek ways and means of expanding training for women in fisheries to support other aspects of their productive work. |
| ST→MT | (c) Identify further sectoral training needs in a systematic way for the short/medium term and, accordingly, to design and implement a fisheries training plan. |
DMRIF appropriately has given strong emphasis to training of both departmental personnel and to local producers and artisans in the fisheries sector. During the latter half of 1992 in-service training opportunities have been provided to fisheries officers to acquire skills in field survey and data processing and analysis work, and several have also been able to attend special elementary courses in computer applications. In early 1992 forty young war refugees were trained as novice fishers through a residential course at Hargigo close to Massawa, and more fisher training is envisaged under the Urk Interchurch Foundation's Red Sea Project. These initiatives should however be pursued on a more consolidated methodological and financial basis. Their evaluation might lead to the formulation of a training programme constituted of small projects for promoting a new breed of young artisanal fishers with significant technical and managerial skills, as part of a strategy to develop underexploited coastline areas (e.g. in the Sahel Region) and concomitantly to increase food production and provide opportunities for employment and refugee resettlement.
The Urk Foundation's Red Sea Project is already in the process of assisting with a net-making course for local women. Such training of women in fisheries constitutes an extremely valuable contribution to sectoral development and should continue with all vigour. Indeed, it is highly recommended that DMRIF seek ways and means of expanding training opportunities for local women in fisheries to support other aspects of their productive work, particularly in connection with shore-based “foot-fishing” activities and the processing and marketing of the collected shells, trepangs, and other products.
DMRIF is presently considering plans to establish a “Marine Technology Training Centre” based at Hargigo. The aim would be to help create a fund of national skills within the fisheries administration (extension and service personnel) and fisherfolk communities (operators, processors, traders, artisans) in order to strengthen sectoral performance and self-reliance. While this is certainly a desirable objective in and of itself, experience elsewhere has shown that, even though such centres appear to serve immediate or short-term needs for skill development, they may not be the best solution in the longer run particularly where their potential client population and overall sector base is of fairly limited size. Options that may be worth exploring are to design a training installation to serve fisheries interests across the wider region, or to plan for a multipurpose facility, or to aim at a combination of both. Further options that warrant serious consideration are to meet immediate training needs through in-service and study tour/fellowship arrangements linked to current or upcoming donor-assisted projects, or to send selected personnel for specialised training organised as and when possible, for example if fellowships or similar opportunities arise, through DMRIF contacts with the appropriate institutions. Whether within a project context or not, training courses could be pursued either locally, regionally, or overseas.
All in all, there would appear to be an urgent need to identify further sectoral training needs in a systematic way for the short/medium term and, accordingly, to design and implement a fisheries training plan. Such an activity is proposed within the framework of Project Profile No. 1. This component of the proposed project could also serve to help identify ways and means of establishing some type of formal training centre or the functional equivalent thereof.
Credit facilities
| ST | (a) Closely monitor the performance of the revolving fund scheme being set up with project assistance to help small-scale fishers obtain necessary inputs. Likewise monitor the credit arrangements that are to be extended to private local fish traders. |
| ST→MT | (b) Consider eventual function of local fisher associations as credit “intermediaries” rather than as credit scheme managers or administrators. |
| ST→MT | (c) Use loan indexing to maintain the real value of funds being circulated through revolving credit schemes. |
| ST→MT | (d) Explore possibilities for extending credit facilities also to support the production, processing, and marketing activities of womenfolk, many of whom are active as shore-based “foot-fisher” collectors. |
| MT | (e) Use the lessons from these experiences to build a model for establishing fisheries credit facilities as part of the normal national banking system. |
It is proposed through the Semhar Project to organise credit arrangements through which local Dahlak and Massawa fishers will have access to essential capital inputs. The inputs themselves would be acquired with foreign exchange provided through an Import Support Fund established by the Project. Arrangements will also be made for a limited number of small-scale traders to be advanced loan capital on credit for the purchase of pick-ups and insulated containers for the distribution of ice chilled fish to inland markets.
The rationale for this “kick-start” investment and credit programme is that the rapid renewal of marine fishing and fish distribution and marketing capacities and fish in Eritrea would otherwise be extremely difficult if not impossible to achieve, given the seriously decapitalised and in many respects disordered state of the sector. Normal bank loans entail security requirements that many fisherfolk would not be able to meet. Under the Semhar scheme, although monies are to be channelled through local banking institutions, loan requests will initially be processed through a special board upon submission from applicant fishers. It is planned that local Dahlak area fisher associations will assume control of the revolving fund, once it becomes fully operational, with the assistance of project personnel. But thought should be given to an alternative arrangement whereby the associations would act more as intermediaries between applicants and the loan approving body, thus avoiding the serious complications that could well arise in trying to manage a specialised credit system on top of other service operations.
It will also be critical to establish a procedure of indexing loans to that the amounts of repayment reflect changes in the real value of the money involved, so that the revolving funds as a whole do not lose their purchasing power over time. Under the present controlled exchange rate regime it would be most effective to index on the basis of parallel market dollar rates current at the time of each repayment installment.
The active role played by shore-based collectors in the Eritrean marine fisheries should not be overlooked as credit schemes are elaborated. This has particular implications for women, since “foot-fishing” is their principal mode of involvement in marine resource exploitation. Availability of credit could potentially do much to strengthen their capabilities in production, processing, and marketing, though fuller investigation of needs and opportunities is needed before exact plans can be elaborated. Such plans can also extend to the fisheries servicing sector, as will be demonstrated through the course being sponsored by the Urk Interchurch Foundation project to teach net-making and repair skills to a group of local women in Massawa. Upon completion of their training the women are to be supplied with twines and other materials on credit so that they can begin working on a commercial basis when they return to their home communities.
Close monitoring of the performance of the Semhar revolving fund and any other schemes that may be devised should provide important lessons for ways in which credit for fisheries related enterprises could be incorporated into the regular operations of established commercial banking institutions.
Recent baseline survey and field observation work along the Eritrean Red Sea coast confirms the extremely weakened state of national marine artisanal fishing capacity. Nearly one-third of the existing fleet is out of service, and it is evident that little new investment or reinvestment has occurred within recent years. Furthermore, there are indications of dislocation and out-migration within the fishing population along with the dispersal of craft, equipment, and gear. Eritrean coastal fishers find that necessary inputs are largely not available from local sources, necessitating their import from outside points within the region.
| ST→MT | (a) Encourage the development of a private network of production input suppliers by establishing special mechanisms to allow them to secure necessary foreign exchange for the import of such items. |
| ST→MT | (b) Advocate that customs duties and taxes applied to imports of fishing inputs be kept very minimal for the time being, bearing in mind that excessive levies can act as disincentives to suppliers. Consider organising a mission or special task force to conduct a techno-economic study to determine appropriate tax and duty levels. |
| ST→MT | (c) Discourage the creation of artificialities within the production sector by avoiding the sale/distribution of gear and other production inputs at Government-or donor-subsidised prices. |
| ST→MT | (d) Help to assure the optimum use of gear and equipment through the organisation of courses for local fishers in handling and maintenance, and through the training of local artisans in repair skills. |
In the short term actions recommended in relation to production inputs will substantially be dealt with under the Semhar Fisheries Rehabilitation Project now getting underway. A major component activity of this project aims at the rehabilitation of the fishing fleet in the Massawa-Dahlak archipelago area. Boat refurbishing as well as new boat construction are to be supported and supplies of spare parts and fishing gear secured. All inputs are to be made available through a loan scheme operated on a revolving fund basis, or through cash sale. A mechanism is to be established whereby the project will provide foreign exchange to allow the importation of essential inputs, presumably by private enterprises.
Under present circumstances of severe decapitalisation of the fishery sector the direct involvement of the project in supporting foreign exchange requirements is deemed necessary. It is urged however that private input dealers be encouraged as soon as possible to import necessary items directly on their own, and thus be given access to foreign exchange at realistic rates and in adequate amounts. It will be necessary to follow closely the experiences of the Semhar Project and use the lessons learned to build a sector-wide strategy for assuring effective private input supply channels.
Customs fee and sales tax rates for imports of fishing inputs have not yet been fixed and it is important that the Department of Economic Development and Cooperation and the Department of Finance are fully briefed about the present critical shortages of these items before final determinations are made. The issue is not a simple one as the need for Government revenue has to be balanced with cost implications for importer and producer. Further techno-economic assessment is called for as part of the short-term planning research action agenda.
Care should be taken as well not to provide equipment and gear through projects or other official channels at heavily subsidised prices, as this would tend to retard the growth of private supply networks and compromise chances for the sector to develop itself without depending on artificial supports in the long run.
It is not clear whether or to what extent there will be provisions in the Semhar Project to promote the optimal use of gear and equipment amongst Semhar fishers through extension activities and/or the organisation of formal courses. DMRIF has already taken the initiative of organising a training course at Hargigo for a group of novice fishers from the Sahel Region. Certainly this is a matter to follow up in both the context of the Semhar Project and more broadly, within the Eritrean artisanal fishery as a whole. Such training/extension activity need not be directed only at novice or aspirant fishers; even those with more experience would stand to gain from practical advice. Furthermore, the interaction between fishers and trainers/extension workers is likely to strengthen appreciation of the practical problems that are faced in Red Sea operations, eventually resulting in the creation of more effective training/extension strategies and lessons.
| ST | (a) Move towards a system of liberalised controls on prices, aiming to achieve early deregulation and the operation of free auction buying at landing sites in order to provide producers with appropriate incentives and counter possibly unattractive cost-earning balances in small unit operations. |
| ST→MT | (b) Closely monitor the impact of such measures on local communities and export flows and reassess the overall price policy accordingly. |
Based on what could be learned from tracing performances of a sample of individual fishing craft delivering the Massawa landing centre over a seven month period in 1992, considerable doubts can be raised as to the financial viability of artisanal operations at the producer price levels then current. The situation seems to have undergone dramatic improvement with the price readjustments put in place in December 1992, although it is by no means certain if cost-earning margins are yet adequate. Whereas DMRIF may want to adopt a very cautious and gradualist approach vis-a-vis the recommencement of the trawl fishery, a turnaround for the artisanal sector is definitely sought on the short term. The speed and extent of this recovery will depend very heavily on perceptions of earning potentials held by small-scale producers. DMRIF may thus wish to give strong consideration to the recommended action of price deregulation and free auction buying at landing points, with the proviso that the effects of such a move be closely monitored.
| ST→MT | (a) Avoiding government involvement in the fish trade as much as possible, encourage small- and large-scale national and international buyers to operate directly from Eritrean coastal towns, settlements, and landings with appropriate incentives in terms of tax and duty liabilities, licensing procedures, and currency exchange restrictions that are not burdensome and complicated. |
| ST→MT | (b) In so doing consolidate a strong routine of fish and fish product landings in domestic ports rather than elsewhere in the region. |
Field survey work identified lack of market access as a further constraint on production particularly in more remote communities. In the absence of convenient local selling points, fishers either must curtail their operations or gear them only to certain products -- salt-dried shark meat for distant market sale, for example. Ideally, therefore, pricing policy liberalisation would be accompanied by moves to promote the operations of private fish buyers and domestic and international fish products traders at selected points up and down the coast and outlying islands. As in the case of input suppliers, modalities will need to be worked out for ready access to foreign exchange when appropriate. Tax and other levy obligations will also require careful review so as not to be too onerous. This could be done in the context of the techno-economic study proposed in connection with decisions on tax and duty schedules for imports of fishing gear and equipment. The overall objective would be to develop a routine of fish landings and catch disposal transactions within national boundaries, since under present circumstances local fisherfolk tend to be oriented towards points across the Red Sea when it comes to the commercialisation of their harvests.
It should be noted that the promotion of small-scale private fish trading enterprises is a further component activity of the Semhar Project. So far as is known, however, initial efforts will concentrate on fresh fish distribution using pick-up trucks fitted with insulated boxes and running between Massawa and Asmara and possibly other inland points. DMRIF has licensed certain dealers to collect processed fish commodities for export from certain localities, but it is understood that these arrangements have been very limited and that so far there are no definite plans to encourage the activities of local or international buyers on a widescale basis. The role to be served by the two transport boats that will be delivered to DMRIF at Massawa also as far as is known has not been firmly decided upon. Options to consider include commissioning them into collection and transport service directly under DMRIF control, to use them more as technical support vessels for official project or routine departmental work (administrative/management/extension), or to lease them out to private trading interests.
| MT | (a) Over the medium term allow for a step-wise recommencement of the industrial trawl fishery in the Red Sea in areas and on stock that will not pose any complications or interference to the artisanal smallcraft fishery. Control the gradual expansion of the trawler fleet over the course of the next three to five years up to a modest level through close monitoring of catches and effects of initial operations. |
| ST | (b) In the immediate to short term, consider requesting an investment mission to look into options for this expansion process including the possible creation of joint ventures and entering into fishing agreements, and to recommend a programme of implementation. |
After a long period of inactivity, trawling operations in Eritrean Red Sea waters were restarted on a provisional basis under an agreement between DMRIF and a Sudan registered firm. Two stern trawl units worked grounds around the Massawa area for a few months in late 1992. It is understood that DMRIF observers are kept track of these operations, and that records of catch locations, volumes, and species were furnished. Given the past successful performance of industrial fishing activity at a modest scale, the existence of at least some 35,000 km2 of good trawling grounds and perhaps more, and the presence of a considerable range of resources including high value species whose stocks do not seem to have been appreciably exploited for many years, it would seem reasonable to favour the resumption of industrial trawling on a gradual basis. Activity would have to be very carefully monitored during the next three to five years to determine performance levels and collect time series data on catch volumes, composition, by-catches, etc. This monitoring programme could be implemented in conjunction with the establishment of a proper catch assessment survey system and statistical unit within DMRIF, and of management plans for each fishery involved (e.g. regulation of effort through closed seasons for the shrimp fishery).
Of the two main options available with respect to admitting foreign participation in national fishing activities, licensing and joint ventures (JVs), the former system is simpler and more straightforward. While not without its own difficulties (temporary character, problem of ensuring adequate control and enforcement), the license system seems preferable for a newly independent state as a means of developing fisheries policy and policy instruments in the short- to medium-term on a sound economic basis.
JVs involve long-term commitments and experience elsewhere has shown that results are not always as satisfactory as hoped or expected at the beginning. Before entering into a JV agreement, the host country fisheries authority, in addition to verifying the reliability of the foreign partner, should dispose of a comprehensive assessment of location, quality, and quantity of the resource to be exploited. Obviously in the case of Eritrea this cannot be instantly managed. In the meantime, the scenario could be considered of moving through stages of: a) licensing foreign fishing; b) constituting JVs when conditions become appropriate and experience is gained with particular operators; and c) developing capacity to exploit living resources by national vessels, as well as to market harvests both at home and abroad.
The question of fees is also one that will have to be addressed if agreements are ever to be negotiated and licenses issued. Fees should in principal be established to reflect the value of the fishing opportunities, though concessions could be considered in the case of more experimental/exploratory types of operations. Standard conditions of reporting, prohibitions of fishing in artisanal areas, and other protective measures, as provided for in the draft Fisheries Regulations already prepared or as appropriately elaborated, will also need to be imposed.
In the immediate to short term, the Department should consider requesting an investment mission to look into options for this industrial trawling expansion process. Investigations could be made into the possible creation of joint ventures and fishing agreements, for instance, and recommendations on a programme of implementation put forward.
| ST→MT | (a) Use funds generated through the levying of modest facility user fees, landing fees, and licenses to develop/rehabilitate basic infrastructure at coastal and island landing sites. |
| ST→MT | (b) Consider the establishment of a “Fisheries Development Fund” to serve as a mechanism for this purpose. |
The Semhar Project includes a substantial infrastructure rehabilitation component and it can be expected that the Massawa and Dahlak Island Fishery Centres will be markedly improved. For Massawa this should result in a fully equipped servicing and provisioning point (piers, slipway, stores, ice plant, water and fuel supply, workshops, retail shop, fisher accomodations, and administrative offices) and for Dahlak in one that is almost as extensive (jetty, water and fuel supplies, and net mending and workshop facilities).
Rehabilitation work will also proceed at the Assab landing centre, with the recommissioning of the containerised ice plant and eventual installation of a larger fixed unit, completion of the boatshed and mechanical workshop, and upgrading of the fish receiving, holding, and selling facilities.
While the project works represent interventions absolutely critical to the early resusitation of the artisanal sector, solutions for infrastructural requirements that are sustainable in the medium to long term must also be sought. As a general practice it is recommended that the redevelopment and maintenance of fisheries service points and facilities to some extent at least be supported by using a portion of sector-generated Government revenues. This could perhaps be done through the mechanism of a “Fisheries Development Fund” fed by monies raised through taxes, levies, and licensing fees and utilised in consultation with the Fisheries Advisory Council. Concrete proposals are however difficult to make at this stage since modalities of PGE departmental financing are still in the process of formulation. It remains to be clarified for instance whether DMRIF is to be a selffinancing department or one dependent upon the Treasury for its recurrent and development budget. Attention to this issue would be another task appropriately undertaken in the context of the proposed Planning and Management Project.
| ST | (a) Refrain from any short-term, production-oriented project work to develop inland fisheries and aquaculture, as the costs involved appear to be grossly disproportionate to any socio-economic benefits that might be realised. |
| MT | (b) In the medium to long term, ensure that any contemplated development begins with comprehensive assessment of water quality and availability, and by small pilot operations to establish technical and socio-economic feasibilities within the context of integrated rural development activity. |
| ST→MT | (c) Wait to assess the results of marine aquaculture projects now in the feasibility study or early implementation stages before considering further expansion of ventures in this area. |
| ST→MT | (d) As a techno-economic criterion to use in the assessment of marine aquaculture ventures, check the development and production costs of ventures against those that could be expected from capture fisheries operations on comparable species. |
| ST→MT | (e) Refrain from public investment in marine aquaculture ventures. |
Prospects for aquaculture and inland fisheries and aquaculture in Eritrea are for the time being exceedingly limited. Serious constraints to the development of inland fisheries and freshwater aquaculture include: the fact that very few reservoirs are stocked with fish; low consumption rates in rural communities, even when freshwater fish is or could easily be available; water quality that is generally only moderately favorable; very limited production potential; possibility of drought and consequent drying up of reservoirs; and lack of easy access to many rural reservoirs.
Insofar as marine aquaculture is concerned, main obstacles to development have been identified as: lack of basic infrastructure (good roads, regular power supply, animal food processing plants, etc.); the high salinity of the Red Sea; and, for subsistence aquaculture, the fact that the fisheries resources is under-exploited.
These strong limitations, especially in light of the fact that the potential of Red Sea fisheries is notably underexploited and particularly so in the case of the pelagics, imply that neither aquaculture nor inland fisheries should be considered as high priority short-term objectives. Nevertheless, for the medium-term, it may be worth establishing more precisely their potentials in terms of techno-economica feasibility and social acceptability.
Profile No. 2 outlines a pilot project on management of inland fisheries development, to run for a period of three years. It should be possible over this period to build an adequate base of knowledge on Eritrean freshwater bodies for assessing their real productivity, and determining the degree to which they could be exploited, including the possible application of intensive stocking techniques. The type of fish that could be harvested, consumed and/or marketed would also be a subject for these pilot investigations. It should subsequently be possible to decide whether inland fisheries and aquacultural development ought to be undertaken or not, according to a more precise estimation of the costs and benefits of such an operation.
For marine aquaculture, it does not seem suitable for the moment to encourage any institutional involvement except for the purpose of controlling private operations and avoiding failures that could threaten the economic and ecological environment as well as the image of the country. Here also, as the conditions are very specific (temperature, salinity), any serious project should start through a pilot phase in order to determine the technical feasibility of the chosen options, and to gain time to build the marketing network. In view of the technical problems that have to be overcome, it may be worth studying the possibilities offered by other species like the local shrimp (more salinity-tolerant) and the seabream Sparus aurata (popular in European markets).
If existing or pipeline aquaculture projects (milkfish and mullet culture in tidal ponds and shrimp farming) proceed as planned, performance and results should be closely monitored. In the meantime, public expenditure in such projects should be avoided.
| ST→MT | (a) Promote the steady improvement in infrastructure and services to support fish distribution and marketing activities, including ice plants, road communications, refrigerated/insulated transport units, central holding and wholesaling facilities, and retail outlets. Insofar as possible encourage small-scale private investor initiative to secure distribution and market facility development. |
| ST→MT | (b) Place particular emphasis on towns/population centres not currently served with fresh fish outlets, including also neighbourhoods outside of central Asmara. |
| ST | (c) Ensure that traders have flexibility to adjust prices in accordance to demand both in terms of quantities and particular species, and to explore new market outlet possibilities both domestically and within the region. |
It is recognised that the country is in need of dramatic improvements to the distribution and marketing system for fish, including range of geographical coverage, transport links, handling and storage facilities, and retail outlets. Plans are for the Semhar Project to play an important facilitating role in this connection. The distribution of iced fish between Massawa and Asmara is to be encouraged through the use of insulated pick-up trucks made available on a loan basis to private operators. Improvements will also be carried out to existing retail fish outlets in Massawa and Asmara, and a new retail market with supporting facilities will be constructed in the Gagiret area of southern Asmara.
A new retail market outlet reportedly was being developed in the centre of Assab under the old Ethiopian Fish Production and Marketing Corporation, but abandoned as the war moved closer to the city in 1991. Steps should be taken to assess the state of the facility and if possible to compete it so that city residents can be served with a more convenient fresh fish buying point. This could perhaps be accomplished within the context of the rehabilitation work planned for the Assab landing centre as referred to above.
In the medium term, and in light of experiences gained with distribution and marketing network upgrading in Massawa, Assab, and Assmara, emphasis should shift towards outlying areas of the main cities and to population centres where fish supplies are not presently available. Such activities however should continue to be encouraged as much as possible through private sector initiative, and in co-ordination with efforts to promote fish consumption within the national population on a wider scale.
The system of fish distribution and marketing in Eritrea is eventually to be wholly privatised. But it will be difficult to achieve reliable and efficient performance, measured as the routine supply of preferred products to consumers in different geographical areas at minimum intermediary costs, as long as Government continues to regulate prices at all stages of the distribution and marketing network. The point has already been made above that recent pricing policy seems to have had a negative effect on production. It may also have been retarding the development of distribution and marketing reliability and efficiency, since little flexibility was provided to adjust to changing supply and demand circumstances, or to increase margins to fund facility improvement or exploratory ventures in product development or in new localities. Whether the price modifications that were implemented in late 1992 will offer sufficient incentive for producers and middle agents is still unclear. From the beginning DMRIF pricing policy has been to maintain fish as an attractive alternative to meat and to guarantee that it remains accessibile to urban consumers who provide its traditional market. Based on observations and survey findings in the main marketing centre of Asmara, however, the population of regular fish buyers tends to be made up of those who are of higher socio-economic status and who are likely, within reasonable limits, to be concerned less about prices than about the availability and quality of supplies. In other words, it can be expected that established consumers in Asmara will still buy fish in the same quantities even if prices rise somewhat -- and there is scope for them to rise considerably while still remaining lower than meat. At least of equal importance when considering how to secure a greater role for fish in the national diet is the low level of consumer familiarity and/or acceptance.
| ST→MT | (a) As large sections of the national population do not eat fish, strive to reverse this situation through publicity campaigns, extension work at market places and with community groups, cookery demonstrations, etc. |
| ST→MT | (b) Aim especially to improve levels of consumption amongst the urban poor and rural dwellers in general, as these groups have had the least opportunity to acquire an appreciation for fish as food. |
| ST→MT | (c) Explore possibilities for increased domestic utilisation of lower-priced and/or currently underexploited species that may not be in heavy demand in external regional or overseas markets. |
| ST | (d) In the short term formulate and implement a pilot project with the specific aim of facilitating fish consumption, concentrating especially on lower income urban households. |
| ST→MT | (e) For all these purposes seek maximum collaboration with those government departments and other agencies concerned with food and nutrition issues and education and extension activities. |
As the vast majority of the Eritrean population comprises those who are not regular fish eaters, either traditionally or as a matter of cultural acquisition, it should become a short- to medium-term priority objective to encourage the wider utilisation of fish as food. With nutritional welfare concerns in mind, the realisation of this objective should embrace the needs of those who have had the least opportunity to acquire an appreciation for fish as food. It should also involve the exploration of possibilities for increased domestic consumption of lower-priced and/or currently underexploited species that may not be in heavy demand in external regional or overseas markets. A product development component can therefore be envisaged at some stage.
To some extent it is planned to deal with marketing and consumption questions within the framework of the Semhar Project. As part of the National Fishery Surveys Programme activity of the project, it is intended to undertake a study of the domestic market, including current urban market demand for fresh fish and how to expand it. Also, “The study would address the problem of inadequate dietary intake of animal protein in the rural populations, and …[indicate] whether the abundant Red Sea clupeid stocks could in some economical way be processed so as to render it palatable to the highland farmers” (see also Section 3.2.5 below).
In order to complement this proposed activity, and to provide a framework under which practical work on fish consumption promotion can be given an early start, a pilot project is proposed for the short-term. As outlined in Profile No. 3, initial activity would be mounted on a fairly modest level and involve a strong local community group focus. Promotion of fish consumption would also be explored on a limited institutional basis, through pilot school meal schemes.
Effective promotion of fish to play a greater role in the national diet will require very close collaboration with other agencies and PGE departments concerned with food and nutrition issues and their popularisation. The departments of Agriculture and Health could provide assistance in mapping out ways to encourage greater utilisation of fish through extension activities, and the field extension personnel of both could perform valuable promotional work at the local level. It will continue to be important to work closely with the Department of Information and Culture in using the mass media to popularise fish consumption and generally to build public awareness of marine resources. Consultations with the curriculum development personnel of the Department of Education could also be pursued with a similar objective in mind. In addition, school meal schemes could be organised on a pilot basis with fish as one of the menu components.
| ST | (a) Encourage feasibility studies and private initiative to restore specialised fisheries product export enterprises that would produce value-added for Eritrea and establish on shore facilities and employment opportunities. |
| ST→MT | (b) Study the possibility of developing modest artisanal and/or industrial (purse seining) capacity for small pelagic fish to supply domestic and regional markets. Consider the fielding of a technical expert to review the situation and develop a set of proposals for the small pelagic fishery. |
The future development of the fisheries exports picture will be heavily influenced by decisions about whether and to what extent industrial trawling operations for high value food fish are to be reestablished in Eritrean Red Sea waters. Other ways of building the export earning potential of the sector should not be overlooked, however. In the past such activities as the collection of shells for the manufacture of “pearl buttons” and necklaces and for the ornamental trade, and the capture of live fish for European and North American aquarium suppliers were well established. These and other possible options for export development, including, for example, harvesting of sea weed and sponges and enhancement of the trade in sea cucumber (trepang), now ought to be explored in light of the current circumstances of world trade and the new context of opportunity that will be offered by international recognition of an independent Eritrea. The country could stand to gain appreciably from enterprises that construct on-shore facilities and provide emploment opportunities through the production of local value-added. Naturally care would have to be taken in evaluating the suitability of such enterprises. The collection of live ornamental fish obviously has environmental implications that would need to be taken into account, for instance. But carried out in a responsible manner at appropriate sites, in full consultation with the fisheries and other relevant authorities, and with appropriate on-shore facilities and handling arrangements, it is the kind of enterprise that has much appeal and warrants strong encouragement.
It is also suggested that the feasibility of developing in the medium-term a modest purse seining capacity for small pelagic fish be investigated. This could serve either as an alternative or an additional fishery for small pelagics, depending on whether the old beach seining operations for anchovies and sardines are eventually restored and/or other artisanal methods for harvesting small pelagics introduced. Further techno-economic assessment is required and should be sought. On the face of it some local and regional market potential for small pelagics exists and could be expanded. Production could be channelled for direct human consumption or to supply animal (poultry) feed plants with dried crushed fish. Use of small pelagics to produce fish meal is far more problematical. Technical and economic viability would be difficult to achieve due to the raw material requirements for high output levels needed and the chronically low state of world fish meal prices. Any proposals to re-establish domestic fishmeal production capacity should thus be very critically scrutinised. Less costly treatments like simple drying and crushing would perhaps be sufficient to produce a high protein food or feed ingredient.
| ST | (a) Elaborate a scheme for collection boat and marketing operations for export products. Provide for a system of quality controls as part of this scheme. Also determine which sites are to be developed as bulking points and shipping outlets. |
| ST | (b) Move quickly to re-establish Assab area artisanal production for the Ethiopian (Addis Ababa) market, which has a proven demand for fresh seafood products. |
| ST→MT | (c) In terms of other regional trade in fish products, seek gradually to regularise links with neighbouring and adjacent countries in the Red Sea basin through a system of formal but streamlined export procedures and the inducements of adequate remuneration to fishers and full availability at fair cost of goods and services needed for fishing and harvesting activities. |
| ST→MT | (d) In this connection ensure that a sufficient portion of foreign exchange generated through export sales be earmarked for acquisition of those inputs that must be obtained from abroad. |
| ST | (e) Immediately detail a working group to review existing provisions of the Investment Proclamation and draw up recommendations for the clearer accomodation of fisheries interests in a revised/updated issue of the Proclamation. |
As mentioned above, it is not yet understood exactly how the transport boats that are shortly to be supplied to DMRIF as legacies of the old Assab Project are to be used. They were originally intended to serve as collection vessels and could perhaps be pressed into this role on a pilot basis as the Semhar Project moves into full operation. If this option is exercised, it would provide a basis for elaborating a collection and marketing network for export products. Such a scheme would need to be developed in conjunction with a system of quality control involving treatment and handling standards, inspection procedures, and certification of product integrity and salubrity. This would in turn require extensive collaboration and consultation with the departments of Agriculture, Health, and Commerce.
All indications point to a strong regional market for Eritrean Red Sea fisheries products, and there would appear to be no barriers in terms of demand to the expansion of trade. It is strongly recommended that opportunities be acted upon without delay in order to increase sectoral earnings and the improved livelihood of fisherfolk and economic significance of the industry that this implies. An obvious place to start is with the supply of fresh seafood products from the Assab area to Addis Ababa. Addis previously provided a very strong market but since the end of the liberation war has remained virtually untapped, owing to complications arising from the breakdown of ice making machinery in Assab, lack of transport, and an understandable commitment on the part of Eritrean authorities to restore domestic production and distribution capacities as a first priority.
While the restoration of the Addis trade links seems to be something that can be accomplished on an almost immediate basis, providing that there is official authorisation and that scope is given for entrepreneurial initiative, a more gradual approach to the regularisation of links with other regional markets in adjoining or adjacent Red Sea basin countries may be appropriate. Commodities traded through these links include large quantities of dried and salted shark meat, shark fins, and dried mullet, and smaller but commercially valuable quantities of snail-nails, trepang, and other marine products. Even fresh iced fish becomes part of this trade where steaming distances allow.
In order for regularised trade to become established, a system of formal but streamlined export procedures needs to be put into place that covers licensing, movement permits, quality certification, and other requirements. But such a system will not likely prove to be be effective in the absence of inducements for fishing communities to shift from their reliance on informal trading routines. These would include the assurance of adequate remuneration for value produced and effort expended, and full availability at fair cost of goods and services needed to equip and maintain fishing or collection activities. In this connection it would be appropriate to explore, in consultation with the Department of Economic Development and Cooperation and the Department of Finance, an arrangement whereby a portion of the foreign exhange generated through export sales could be earmarked for the acquisition of those inputs that must be purchased from abroad.
Finally, the development of fisheries exports will almost certainly involve international as well as local investor offices and agencies, and policy and procedure for their operations has to be made completely clear. As there appears to be some question about the applicability of certain Investment Proclamation provisions to the fisheries sector, a working group should immediately be detailed to review these provisions and draw up recommendations for the clearer delineation of fisheries interests in a revised/updated issue of the Proclamation.
| 1. Project Title: | Fisheries Development Planning & Management, Eritrea |
| 2. Locations: | DMRIF HQ Asmara, DMRIF Field Stations |
| 3. Duration: | 3 years (Initial phase) + 2 years (Follow up) |
| 4. Counterpart organisation: | DMRIF |
| 5. Indicative budget: | US$ 1 422 000 |
| Government contribution: | US$ in kind (personnel) |
| Donor contribution: | US$ 1 422 000 |
6. Objectives:
Development:
to foster food and economic security for the Eritrean population;
to establish Government capabilities to develop and manage fishery resources in an optimal manner; and
to conserve and protect marine fish stocks in order to ensure sustained production.
Immediate:
to design a permanent fisheries administrative structure;
to establish new DMRIF planning and co-ordination functions on a fully operational basis;
to establish new DMRIF management and enforcement functions on a fully operational basis;
7. Justification and Background
Eritrea's productive capabilities and infrastructure suffered immense damage over the last three decades both directly as a result of armed conflict, and indirectly as a result of the diversion of attention, energy, funds, and materials away from crucial maintenance and upkeep activities. The agricultural and industrial sectors of the economy will require extensive rehabilitation. Recovery in agricultural production to the point of assured food security is expected to be slow, and heavy reliance on on food aid, currently accounting for around 70% of total supplies, will continue for some years to come. The industrial sector will also take a long time to be restored to its previous performance levels. Furthermore, the institutional capabilities of most Provisional Government of Eritrea (PGE) departments and agencies are in need of considerable strengthening. There is an acute shortage of skilled and experienced personnel, physical facilities, services, and operating funds. In order to deal with this crisis the PGE has embarked upon an Emergency Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme that aims to “jump-start” the economy through a series of wide-ranging but complementary measures intended to produce rapid restoration of essential economic activities and institutional capabilities. Priority is being placed on the agricultural and industrial sectors, essential infrastructure, the institutional framework for economic management, and policy initiatives to provide a liberalised commercial environment favouring the growth of the private sector.
The Eritrean national fishery, based almost exclusively on the exploitation of waters off the Red Sea shore and islands, has suffered like other sectors of the economy from producer population dislocations and loss of productive capacity. Yet the fisheries resources of the Red Sea count amongst the most important of Eritrea's natural assets, and there are strong hopes that they can play an early leading role in the nation's social and economic recovery and rehabilitation. It is a role for which they are uniquely suited, as stocks of Red Sea fish and other exploitable marine resources largely remained intact during the war years. It may even be the case that these stocks have grown. Considering also that before the events of war, the fisheries were quite productive and remunerative, the possibility for their full restoration in fairly short order appears all the more likely.
In the past the Eritrean Red Sea fisheries produced annual yields of over 25,000 tonnes. This stands in dramatic contrast to current catch levels, which amount to no more than a few thousand tonnes. Yet the earlier landings themselves are regarded as being well below maximum sustainable yield levels, estimated by various observers as ranging between 36,000 to nearly 80,000 mt. It would thus appear that substantial gains could be realised through fisheries redevelopment. On the domestic scene increased fish availability and utilisation would have profound positive effects for nutritional welfare. Also, to the extent that fish can serve as a substitute for meat, a more rapid build-up of heavily depleted livestock herds would be possible. Furthermore, if the foreign exchange earning potential of the Red Sea fishery were to be properly tapped, this could contribute indirectly to overall food security by assuring funds to import food when needed.
In order for such gains to be realised and consolidated, however, a number of critical constraints will have to be overcome. The restoration of productive capabilities along with supporting services and facilities, obviously a priority task to address, has already commenced within one of Eritrea's most important fishing areas under the Semhar Fisheries Rehabilitation Project (ERI/92/CO1 and ERI/92/001). But what is perhaps an even more fundamental constraint to global sectoral improvement in the long term is the absence of a sound and fully operational institutional framework. Work within specific projects and implementation of the proposed National Fisheries Development Programme and related sectoral management and administration activities will hardly be feasible without such a framework. Recommendations for institutional improvements prepared within the context of the earlier short-term FAO TCP/ERT/2251 project, and presented at the National Conference on Fisheries Planning and Resource Development held in early 1993, could serve as a basis for charting out specific actions to be taken.
The Department of Marine Resources and Inland Fisheries (DMRIF) like all other PGE departments had had to be started virtually from scratch. Its present set-up has to a considerable extent been fashioned in an ad hoc way to meet immediate needs. Neither in terms of organisational structure, nor level of staff experience and skill, nor physical facilities, nor financial wherewithal, can DMRIF be said to be properly equipped to undertake administration and development of the fisheries on the scale necessary to harness their significant potential as a source of protein for domestic consumption and of foreign exchange from export earnings.
The proposed project would be directly concerned with institutional strengthening. It would aim to assist DMRIF by providing technical assistance and training across a broad range of areas. In the context of departmental restructuring, planning and co-ordination functions would be made more fully operational to ensure: elaboration of fisheries policy in light of changing sectoral and national circumstances; monitoring of policy instruments; preparation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects; analysis of socio-economic issues and problems; collection and analysis of basic statistical data; preparation of annual development plans and budgets; elaboration of licensing and other access arrangements based on management plans; and liaison with other fisheries-related institutions. In addition to addressing institutional development issues, project work would support the implementation of various aspects of the National Fisheries Development Programme.
8. Activities
8.1 Objective 1: DMRIF Administrative Organization
8.1.1 Output 1: permanent departmental structure designed
Activities:
evaluation of existing staff dispositions and capabilities for administrative, technical and resources management purposes;
detailed elaboration of organisational readjustment scheme for the medium and longer term, including: definition of departmental structure at central and field levels; establishment of sections and staff terms of reference; identification of internal procedures/channels of communication; evaluation of recurrent budget requirements (staffing, equipment allocations/maintenance, ceilings); drafting related text, e.g general and financial regulations in line with National Civil Services rules.
8.2 Objective 2: Establish Operation of DMRIF Planning and Coordination Functions
8.2.1 Output 1: Institutional, social and economic components of the National Fisheries Development Programme detailed, implemented and readjusted
Activities:
launch the new organisational set-up when adopted, including: elaboration of annual workplan and budget; on-the-job training in daily administrative routines (e.g reporting); elaboration and implementation of a medium-term staff development programme involving in-service training, study tours, and specialised training components, and identification of further immediate and medium-term sectoral training needs; and preparation of a draft training plan;
monitor and evaluate the impact of policy instruments (e.g fish pricing, credit schemes, tax and levies, inputs subsidies, foreign exchange allocation, etc.), and undertake detailed techno-economic studies and formulate recommendations as appropriate;
conduct and/or up-date ad-hoc socio-economic investigations of selected fishing communities, fishing unit operations, trade network, and consumer behaviour;
monitor the implementation and co-ordination of on-going projects and identify/elaborate new projects proposals as necessary;
assist in establishing a regular mechanism for consultation between DMRIF and other institutions with fisheries-related interests at the national, regional and international levels, and in particular in ensuring the effective operation of a Fisheries Advisory Council;
assist in monitoring the expansion of industrial trawling production for export, in particular undertake techno-economic investment investigation for assessing the possible creation of private domestic or joint venture fishing operations and related onshore requirements (including quality control) within the framework of a clarified industrial fishing policy; advise on trends and opportunities related to regional, European, and other overseas fish export markets;
assist in designing a Fisheries Development Fund for the rehabilitation of basic onshore infrastructure;
8.3 Objective 3: Establish Operation of DMRIF Management and Enforcement Functions
8.3.1 Output 1: Fully operational statistics and information network to serve planning and management needs
Activities:
design and test a fisheries statistic and information system for carring out routine collection, compilation, analysis and reporting of fish catch, socio-economic, and marketing statistics; train statistic staff accordingly;
organize and implement a catch assessment survey (CAS) system;
train staff from DMRIF central and field statistical units in conducting frame surveys on a regular basis, operating the CAS system, carrying out bio-statistical and socio-economic surveys and assist in monitoring the pattern of fishing pressure and the state of fish stocks;
design and produce a national yearbook on fisheries statistics
8.3.2 Output 2: Management structure, skills, and instruments tested and consolidated
Activities:
finalise draft fisheries legislation and elaborate related regulatory measures;
identify enforcement options, taking into account community-based management systems; design short-and medium-term cost effective Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) schemes;
assist in implementing and adjusting licensing schemes and in providing a technical basis for establishing marine reserves;
evaluate national requirements for applied research in fisheries and integrated coastal zone management issues and formulate a draft medium term Research Plan in collaboration with other concerned national institutions;
assist in developing fish stock assessment and resources survey and monitoring capabilities and design interim management plans for industrial trawl fisheries and small-scale demersal fisheries;
9. Approximate Budget
It is envisaged that two resident experts would be posted to the project during the initial three year period. Technical expert support would also be programmed at intervals during a possible follow-up phase. A Fisheries Socio-Economist/Development Planner (36 person/months) would serve as the Chief Technical Advisor for the project, and would be supported by a Bio-Statistician (24 person months). Both individuals would be expected to have extensive experience with fisheries and institutional development, preferably within the Africa region. The project would also be provided with technical support from short-term experts/consultants in the fields of fisheries resource evaluation and management, institutional organisation, legislation, investment, marketing, nutrition and consumption, information systems, and computer programming.
| Personnel (projected costs including administrative overheads) | (US $ Est.) | |
| Socio-Economist Planner/CTA | (36 p/m) | 360 000 |
| Bio-Statistician | (24 p/m) | 240 000 |
| Short-term experts/consultants | (12 p/m) | 120 000 |
| Local administrative support (4) | (144 p/m) | 30 000 |
| Sub-total personnel | 750 000 | |
| Training | ||
| Workshops and in-service training for DMRIF staff | 40 000 | |
| Individual short-term fellowships and study tours | 50 000 | |
| Sub-total training | 90 000 | |
| Equipment | ||
| 4WD vehicles (3) | 90 000 | |
| Motorcycles (10) | 15 000 | |
| Fibreglass boats w/outboard engines (3) | 12 000 | |
| Fishing gear | 6 000 | |
| Micro-computers (2) w/accessory equipment and software | 20 000 | |
| Weighing scales (assorted sizes) | 4 000 | |
| Office and training equipment | 20 000 | |
| Sub-total equipment | 167 000 | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Operation and maintenance | 100 000 | |
| Library development | 20 000 | |
| Sundry and unforeseen expenses | 80 000 | |
| Reporting costs | 15 000 | |
| Sub-total miscellaneous | 215 000 | |
| Reserve for follow-up phase | 200 000 | |
| Sub-total follow-up | 200 000 | |
| TOTAL | 1 422 000 | |
| 1. | Project Title: | Pilot Inland Fisheries Development |
| 2. | Locations: | Elabered, Adi Sheka and other inland reservoirs |
| 3. | Duration: | 3 years |
| 4. | Counterpart organisation: | DMRIF |
| 5. | Indicative budget: | US$ 129 000 |
| Government contribution | (personnel, in kind) | |
| Donor contribution | US$ 129 000 |
6. Objectives:
Development:
to improve protein self-sufficiency for rural populations;
to extend the number of fish-populated reservoirs; and
to improve the local capabilities for fish catching and marketing.
Immediate:
inventory of inland water bodies and their potential for fisheries, of local harvesting and catching capabilities, and of marketing and consumption potentials; and
foundations for a larger scale development of inland fisheries, including administrative/legislative measures for optimising the institutional management of the activity.
7. Justification and Background
Inland fisheries are at present almost nonexistent in Eritrea. Moreover, the number of reservoirs with existing fish settlements is very limited.
On the other hand, many villages lie in the vicinity of reservoirs which possibly could be used for fish production, while rural populations suffer from animal protein shortages which could be alleviated by increased freshwater fish consumption.
The current knowledge of the characteristics of Eritrean reservoirs does not provide a sufficient base for assessing whether fish propagation is technically feasible. Moreover, the market for freshwater is practically nil, so its acceptability by rural populations is not known. Acceptability could be a major bottleneck for widespread inland fisheries development.
DMRIF is at present lacking of the basic equipment to undertake any assessment of the water quality or any transplantation of fish from one reservoir to another. Another issue to be addressed is the lack of available gear for inland fisheries.
The project is thus designed to increase the management and monitoring capabilities of DMRIF, in order to undertake pilot actions to evaluate the possibilities for inland fisheries development in Eritrea.
8. Activities
Assessment of production potential:
assess the number and characteristics of permanent water bodies.
undertake basic physico-chemical analysis on the waters of these reservoirs, in order to evaluate their suitability for fish production.
Fish propagation trials at selected sites:
determine from both a technical and marketing point of view the most suitable species for the stocking of the most suitable reservoirs;
select some favourable reservoirs and stock them either with fish caught from the existing populations or with fingerlings provided from outside sources;
assess the development of these populations through experimental fishing; and
if the development is sufficient before year 3, start to instruct local villagers in simple fishing techniques (hook and lines, cast nets) and monitor their adaptation to fishing and fish consumption.
Fish catch, marketing and consumption trials:
for the existing fish populated reservoirs of Elabered, Adi Sheka, select a group of potential fisherfolk to be provided with basic fishing gear (hooks, cast nets); and
monitor catches, the uses fish are put to, and the share of commercialised and non-commercialised outputs.
Assessment of development potential:
According to the observations made under the above activities, assess the development potential and provide recommendations for a further extension of inland fisheries taking into account technical, commercial, administrative, and legal points of view; and
elaborate, as necessary, an inland fisheries development programme within the context of integrated rural development activity.
9. Approximate Budget
It is envisaged that the project will use existing DMRIF personnel and provide them with basic equipment. International advisors would provide technical backstopping and assist with evaluation of results as a basis for preparing final recommendations.
| Personnel (projected costs including administrative overheads) | US$ | |
| Technical Advisors/Consultants | (6 p/m) | 72 000 |
| APO Fisheries Biologist | (24 p/m) | -- |
| Local administrative support | (36 p/m) | 10 000 |
| Local fisheries technician | (36 p/m) | (in kind) |
| Driver | (36 p/m) | (in kind) |
| Fishers (2) | (72 p/m) | (in kind) |
| Total personnel | 82 000 |
| Equipment | ||
| Vehicle | 20 000 | |
| Fishing gear and fish transportation equipment | 3 000 | |
| Water analysis equipment | 2 000 | |
| Miscellaneous field equipment | 1 000 | |
| Office equipment | 1 000 | |
| Operation and maintenance | 10 000 | |
| Total equipment | 37 000 | |
| Sundries | 10 000 M | |
| TOTAL | 129 000 | |
| 1. | Project Title: | Fish Consumption Promotion, Pilot Phase |
| 2. | Location: | Asmara, Eritrea |
| 3. | Duration: | 3 months (Pilot/Initial phase) |
| 4. | Counterpart organisation: | DMRIF/ERRA/Agiculture/Health |
| 5. | Indicative budget: | US$ 85 500 |
| Government contribution: | (personnel, in kind) | |
| Donor contribution: | US$ 82 500 |
6. Objectives:
Development:
to foster food and economic security for the Eritrean population; and
to establish fish as a regular part of local diets, particularly in lower income areas/households; and
to encourage national fish production and distribution systems.
Immediate:
to assist in identifying ways in which fish could be used more effectively to bring nutritional benefits to urban communities; and
to help develop outreach and promotion activities in these communities through which such nutritional benefits can be realised in affordable and acceptable ways.
7. Justification and Background
Recent field observations and urban survey work confirm that the development of a domestic market for fish products in Eritrea could be promoted with some reorientation of present consumer dietary habits. Although the vast majority of the national population are not regular fish eaters, either traditionally or as a matter of cultural acquisition, there are no taboos against eating fish in Eritrea. Many people are familar at least with the notion of eating fish, even if very few have regular access to supplies or know how to cook it properly. Amongst animal protein foods, the traditional preference is for meat, and the domestic market for fish is confined to those who live along the Red Sea coast and in urban areas. In Asmara, the largest city and the principal fish marketing centre of the country, there are indications that most regular buyers/consumers of fish are from comparatively affluent sections of society.
Several residential zones in and immediately around Asmara are dominated by poorer households and have relatively more children at the lower end of the nutritional status scale. For many such households relatively high prices, lack of convenient availability, and insufficient knowledge of preparation techniques severely limit the use of added animal protein with staple grain (baked as injera -- a thin, flat, fermented bread) to small amounts of pulses (prepared as shiro -- a thick sauce).
The Provisional Government of Eritrea currently follows a policy of controlling fish prices at a level where fish is a close competitor to pulses as a protein food, and is an economically attractive alternative to meat. Sufficient observational and survey indications of a latent demand for fish amongst most income groups exist to warrant the organisation of pilot action research for a wider exercise to promote the utilisation of fish. It is proposed that such pilot work be started around Asmara, where large concentrations of poorer households exist and a basic fish distribution and marketing infrastructure is already in place. Initially it would be most suitable to identify a lower income Asmara suburb where expanded marketing of fish is already being planned by DMRIF. Follow-up work could extend to other urban areas and eventually to appropriate rural areas.
8. Activities
Preparation and organisation:
establish which types of households would benefit nutritionally from spending some part of their food budget on fish; and
determine which types of fish dishes could be integrated into which meals, and which quantities of fish are acceptable, affordable, and appropriate for fulfilling this function.
Local community outreach and promotion:
develop outreach and promotion strategies to reach the above households with appropriate advice and demonstrations, placing emphasis on a community-based approach with as much local participation as possible;
identify good home cooks in the project locality from among those buying fish at local markets, or according to neighbourhood reputation, and work together with them in their own kitchens to develop recipes with locally-available ingredients;
test results by inviting family members, friends, and neighbours to sample the dishes, and encourage these others to try the dishes out for themselves in a local ripple campaign;
use public media to record and report on these sessions, especially the radio and television; and
make video recordings of sessions for screening in local community halls and other public places, and for use in other suburbs and towns.
Local institution outreach and promotion:
select a local school where parents and teachers are interested in ensuring the children are well fed through a lunch scheme;
establish a steering group (including pupils) to co-ordinate community contributions of food, labour, cash, and equipment, and develop suitable recipes for daily meals, including two fish meals per week; and
also make video recordings of this exploratory and development process for use elsewhere in conjunction with cooking demonstrations.
Monitoring and follow-up
use participatory identification to choose a purposive sample for before-and-after consumption study to provide characteristics of which households could benefit from eating fish; and
formulate follow-up project work to introduce/promote fish consumption in similar neighbourhood and institutional contexts both (a) around other areas of Asmara and (b) in other highland towns with close access to a fish distribution route.
9. Major Inputs and Approximate Budget
It is envisaged that one international expert would be required for a three-month period to establish the pilot project and to assist national counterparts in the crucial task of developing participatory approaches to the investigation and promotion of fish consumption. The project team would include a Nutritionist/Community Development officer from the Eritrean Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (ERRA) as a local consultant, and a marketing officer from DMRIF, a Home Economist from the Department of Agriculture (DOA), and a Nutritionist/Extension officer from the Department of Health (DOH) as national counterparts. Local cooks would also be centrally involved as demonstrators/animators.
| Personnel (projected costs including administrative overheads) | (US $ Est.) | |
| Nutritionist/Community Development Advisor | (3 p/m) | 36 000 |
| ERRA Nutritionist/Community Development | ||
| (Local Consultant) | (3 p/m) | 3 000 |
| DMRIF Marketing Officer | (3 p/m) | (in kind) |
| DOA Home Economist | (3 p/m) | (in kind) |
| DOH Nutritionist/Extension Officer | (3 p/m) | (in kind) |
| Sub-total personnel | 39,000 | |
| Training | ||
| Local and institutional demonstrations | 10 000 | |
| Sub-total training | 10,000 | |
| Equipment | ||
| Vehicle* | 20 000 | |
| Video equipment | 5 000 | |
| Sub-total equipment | 25 000 | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Operation and maintenance | 10 000 | |
| Reporting costs | 3 000 | |
| Sundries | 1 500 | |
| Sub-total miscellaneous | 13 000 | |
| TOTAL | 85 500 | |
* To be used also for anticipated expansion phase work.
