Co-management to unleash fisheries potential and promote sustainability in Mozambique
15 June 2022, Maputo - After the successful inception workshop to launch the Project "Fisheries Co-management Capacity Development for Blue Communities: Sustainable Fisheries and Diverse Livelihoods", the collaboration between FAO and the Government of the Republic of Mozambique to enhance the fisheries sector in the country and support livelihoods through a national contextualized fisheries co-management system is stepping ahead.
During a two-day meeting from 13 to 14 June experts and representatives of various interests in the sector convened in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique, to review, discuss and validate the results of the feasibility study on challenges and opportunities for fisheries co-management as an effective tool to promote the sector development and improve fishing communities' livelihoods.
Co-management in Mozambique may accelerate the development of fisheries while guaranteeing sustainability
For Mozambique, with a vast coastline and the great potential of its inland waters, fish and fishery products are already recognized as a treasure for the economy of thousands of Mozambican families.
The sector plays a crucial role in the economies and livelihoods of many countries, underlined Mr. Hernani Filomena Coelho da Silva, FAO Representative in Mozambique, during his welcome remarks "However, increasing global population, climate change and growing demand for fisheries products are emerging challenges that threaten the sustainable use of fisheries resources and may affect the sustainability of fisheries stocks, exploitation of resources, as well as social, economies, livelihoods, food and nutrition security, if we do not take adequate measures for their rational and sustainable management", he stated. Fisheries co-management emerged as an alternative solution to face these problems in fisheries and FAO is working to enrich the knowledge and the practice of fisheries co-management systems as an approach to achieving economic, environmental and social sustainability of fishing communities in selected countries, of which Mozambique is one of them.
Co-management can help explore and expand the potential of the fisheries sector. It can be a more effective if it can guarantee the sustainability of fish stocks, as well as the integration of social and economic aspects and strengthen the importance of this sector as a means of subsistence and food and nutritional security for thousands of families who depend on it.
"The Government of Mozambique, recognizing its relevance to the country, has been adopting policies with a view to promoting the sustainable development of the artisanal fisheries value chain, highlighting it as a priority sector in the national development agenda." said Cassamo Hassane Júnior, Deputy Director of the National Fisheries Administration (ADNAP). "It was in this context that MIMAIP adopted participatory management as a preferred model to ensure the management of fisheries, community participation in the decision-making process on the management of their resources and the creation of a favorable environment for coexistence between operators, artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial fisheries."
The meeting discussed also the selection criteria for selected sites and the in-depth contextualized action plan of the project with the selected country. "With this project, fishermen will have the opportunity to use the internet and be involved in the world of globalization, through the use of information and communication technologies, allowing them to increase their knowledge and share their experiences with other actors linked to co-management at the National and international levels" added Cassamo Hassane Júnior.
The Smart Fisheries Co-management project and KOFAP
The Project “Fisheries Co-management Capacity Development for Blue Communities: Sustainable Fisheries and Diverse Livelihoods”, also known as “Smart Fisheries Co-management (SFC)” is part of the Korea FAO Sustainable and Innovative Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme (KOFAP). KOFAP, and its projects, were initiated in 2020 as a collaboration between the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, aiming to strengthen the fisheries and aquaculture sector by promoting development, innovation, and collaboration.
Within the KOFAP umbrella, SFC focuses on countries whose economies are strictly reliant on the fisheries and aquaculture sector and seeks to promote a transition to more efficient and sustainable aquatic food systems through a better understanding of the concept of fisheries co-management.
Thanks also to the financial support of the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), the SFC project supports all fisheries stakeholders and policymakers in designing and implementing effective fisheries co-management plans and systems for sustainable fisheries governance.
Additional resources
Video: The Republic of Korea and FAO: Enhancing fisheries co-management