©FAO SWIOFC/ José Cansano

24 October, 2023, Macaneta-Maputo – The members of the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) of partnership SWIOFC and the Nairobi Convention met on October 24, 2023, in Macaneta, Marracuene District, Maputo Province in its third ordinary session, which was preceded by the meeting of the project's technical committee.

The one-day meeting aimed to assess the progress achieved in the first phase of project implementation and to approve the report on the selection of the new sites and respective work plans for the implementation of the second phase of the project designated, "Partnership for Resilience of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Livelihoods", highlighting the challenges and lessons learned for future sharing of the experiences accumulated with the different stakeholders of the project.

The NPSC is composed of representatives from the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, the Ministry of Land and the Environment, the FAO Representation in Mozambique, the focal point of the Nairobi Convention, representatives of local Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia and fishing communities.

Introductory notes of the meeting were made by the Regional Coordinator of the SWIOFC-NCPP Project, Ulrika Gunnartz, on behalf of FAO Mozambique, highlighting the ongoing good collaboration between the FAO representation in Mozambique and the Mozambican Government through a multiannual FAO Framework Programme for the period 2022-2026, which is in line with the Government's Five-Year Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The official opening was made by Cassamo Hassane Júnior, Director-General of the National Fisheries Administration (ADNAP, IP), representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), Maria Ascensão Ribeiro Pinto. "It is expected that this meeting will bring the lessons learned from phase 1 of the project at the level of Maputo Bay and at the mouth of the Limpopo River, which will serve as a basis for improving the implementation of activities during phase 2 of the project, in the new implementation sites, namely, Machanga District in Sofala province and Moma District, in Nampula province," Cassamo Júnior said.

During the session, with regard to the progress made in the first phase of the implementation of the project, it was noted that significant progress has been made in the level of implementation of activities with emphasis on management plans and restoration actions for critical habitats, in particular, mangroves, however, there is a need to accelerate with the activities related to Marine Spatial Planning for Maputo Bay and the implementation of interventions to support the livelihoods to communities. Regarding phase 2 of the project, the members of the NPSC recognized the work done by the technical team in the survey of the problems and the participatory way in which the proposal for a plan of activities was prepared, involving the two Ministries – of Fisheries and Environment, at all levels up to the Community Based Organizations (CBO's), namely, Community Fisheries Councils and Natural Resources Management Committees (CGRN), Women's Associations, Non-Governmental Organizations, among other stakeholders.

At the meeting, a prioritization exercise was carried out to ensure that the main common problems between the fisheries and environmental sectors are properly addressed and the resources needed to be allocated efficiently.

As a result of the meeting, the members of the Committee approved the proposal for the revision of the Terms of Reference of the NPSC with the inclusion of the local representativeness of the new sites and the representation of NGOs; the report on the selection of the new sites for the implementation of the project and its plan of activities was endorsed. Regarding the budget, it was recommended that the technical teams adjust it based on the prioritization made.

Partnership Project between SWIOFC and Nairobi Convention

FAO's SWIOFC is implementing an Aids-funded project in partnership with the Nairobi Convention (NC) at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The SWIOFC NC Partnership Project "A Partnership for Marine and Coastal Governance and Fisheries Management for Sustainable Blue Growth" aims to support Western Indian Ocean (WIO) countries to develop and implement coordinated approaches for the sustainable management and use of fisheries and coastal ecosystems, at regional and national level at demonstration sites in Mozambique, Madagascar and Tanzania. And maintaining the health and sustainability of the region's ecosystems and fisheries resources requires strong coordination between the areas of environment and fisheries, both between regional bodies, ministries and government entities at local, provincial and district levels.

The NPSC meets twice a year. The quorum shall include representatives of the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, the Ministry of Land and Environment and the FAO Office. The NPSC is co-chaired by representatives of the two ministries (MIMAIP and MTA) and the sessions are chaired on a rotating basis.