SOUTH WEST INDIAN OCEAN FISHERIES
PROGRAMME
(SWIOFP)
NEWSFLASH: MAY 2003

An occasional newsletter to update




member
s of SW
IOFP o
n curre
nt








develo
pments.



















Following on from the two plenary planning meetings held in December 2000
and September 2002, there has been a period of consolidation and planning in
the SWIOFP programme. Certain administrative arrangements, between the
World Bank and the SWIOFP secretariat, required finalization before significant
further progress could be made. These have now been finalised and the
following progress can be reported.

Administration
· The position of executive secretary to SWIOFP is presently being advertised.
· A technical advisor has been appointed on a consulting basis. He is Rudy van der Elst
from the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in Durban.
· Bill Lane, who was instrumental in pioneering this programme from the GEF-World
Bank perspective, has moved to other programmes. He has been followed on a
temporary basis by Robert Clement Jones, who over the past few months has made
great progress in forging SWIOFP ahead. We are grateful to both gentlemen for their
concerted efforts.
· It is expected that a new and more permanent link with the GEF-World Bank will soon
be established and several promising individuals have been identified as possible
candidates. There is of course Rod de Vletter, the World Bank Rep in Maputo who
continues to provide guidance and support to this programme, almost on a daily basis.


Programme development
During the September workshop a number of distinct themes were identified, each of which
would be allocated to a working group to be hosted by a specific country. These working
groups have now been allocated to specific countries, following a nomination and voting
process:
Scientific programme development
South Africa
1
Information and data management
Kenya
2
Operations and procurement
Tanzania
3
Project management
Madagascar
4
Legal implications and instruments
Mozambique
5

It is important to fast-track several of these activities, especially so as to ensure that the final
proposal to GEF can be completed by the end of 2003. Consequently, the first three of the
above tasks have been given priority. It is particularly important to have the scientific
programme better conceptualised before some of the other activities can commence.

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An interim action plan has been drafted accordingly and the main points of this programme
are:


INTERIM PROGRAMME

Task
Action
Status
Confirm appointments to secretariat.
Finalise TORs; advertise;
By end June2003
appoint
Initiate the 3 main working groups in Liaison with countries; set up Completed by end
respective host countries
working groups;
September 2003
Create basic SWIOFP Website
Design and host
By July 2003
Interface with other WIO
Document other programmes; By July 2003
programmes, including LME
circulate- establish links.
Final project vision document
Compile draft ; circulate
By November 2003
submitted to GEF


A number of other important tasks need to be tackled soon. One of these is the identification
of possible useful sources of data relating to the SWIOFP programme. Such data and records
may be located in any of a number of countries and hence this will be a significant task.
However, failure to track down such records could result in duplication of some activities,
which can not be justified.

Planned meetings
Each member country will be requested to
Member
Observer
send up to two experts to the three working
countries
counties
groups that are to be implemented shortly.
Comoros
Seychelles
Funds for their attendance are available and
Madagascar
Mauritius
will be sourced via the host country. The
observer
countries
are
welcome
to
Kenya
France
participate, but no funding is currently
Tanzania

available to cover their travel costs.
Mozambique


South Africa



Please do contact us at the SWIOFP secretariat with ideas, advice and comment. This
programme remains one of the finest opportunities our collective countries will have to ensure
long-term sustainable development of the West Indian Ocean. As such it deserves the support
of all.


Ana-Paula Baloi
SWIOFP co-ordinator
Instituto Nacional de Investigacao Pesquiera (IIP)
Maputo
Tel: + 258 1 490536 / 490307 /499963
Fax + 258 1 492112
Email: swiofp@moziip.org

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