Reviewing Samoa's Community-based Fisheries Management Programme
The Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries held two consultations in Upolu and Savaii on the 13th and 14th July 2016 respectively. The consultations aim to introduce the review process of the Community-based Fisheries Management Programme (CBFMP) as well as collect preliminary information from the representatives of 70 selected communities in Upolu and Savaii who joined the programme.
The CBFMP was initiated in 1995 under the Australian funded Fisheries Extension and Training project and has been reviewed once in 2001. However, the programme has been running for more than 15 years and a thorough independent review is needed to identify areas for its improvement and effectiveness to manage coastal and marine resources for food security and livelihoods for the communities.
The review of the CBFMP is funded by FAO under the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme facility in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC) Coastal Fisheries Section and the Fisheries Division.
The project’s main focus is in response to the Samoa Coastal Fisheries Management and Development Plan (2013-2016) to strengthen the CBFMP and objectively encourage the participation of communities in management of the coastal and marine resources. This will contribute to the improvement and effectiveness of the management of coastal fisheries in Samoa through the review of the CBFMP.
The representatives (mainly village mayors) from the randomly selected 40 villages in Upolu and 30 in Savaii are invited to participate and be involved in these consultations. These discussions will be focussed on the activities implemented under the CBFMP including the effectiveness of village fisheries management plan, village by-laws, village-owned fish reserves, village undertakings and support provided by the Fisheries Division. In addition, the participants will discuss the changes since the inception of the CBFMP in their village in terms of marine habitats and fishing activities (methods and catches). Nevertheless, participants will discuss lessons learnt and recommendations on ways to improve the CBFMP. There will be a series of other activities followed by these consultations to seek improvements in delivering the CBFMP to manage the coastal fisheries resources in the future.
The Fisheries Division-MAF is grateful for this opportunity that the joint-effort from FAO and SPC technical team made possible for Samoa to conduct the CBFMP review.