Towards the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Region
Following the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in June 2014, and in line with paragraph 13.6 of the document itself, which promotes the development of regional plans of action for their implementation, a regional workshop was held to discuss the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region.
The Regional Consultation Workshop on Implementing the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication was held in Mauritius from 12 to 15 December 2016. It was hosted by the Indian Ocean Commission, in partnership with SADC and FAO. The workshop was attended by 56 participants from Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, and Reunion Island (French outermost region), including representatives of governments, socio-professional associations representing the small-scale fisheries sector, civil society organizations as well as a range of supporting organizations (regional organizations, regional fishery bodies, research institutes, NGOs, etc.) and IOC, FAO and SADC staff and resource persons.
The overall objective of the workshop was to raise awareness and provide implementation support for the SSF Guidelines. The specific objectives were to identify priority actions for the creation of a consolidated SSF Guidelines action plan for the SADC/IOC region; to identify potential resources and modalities for its implementation; and to share lessons learned from past and ongoing initiatives with respect to managing small-scale fisheries and enhancing their value chains.
During the four days, participants examined the current status of small-scale fisheries in the region, shared experiences through country and thematic presentations, identified main challenges and best practices and proposed actions to support the implementation of the SSF Guidelines within the context of appropriate regional and national frameworks.