S
I O F
P
OUTH WEST NDIAN
CEAN
ISHERIES
ROGRAMME
(SWIOFP)
NEWSFLASH 5: OCTOBER 2003
An oc
casional newslet ter to up date
members of SWIOFP on current
developments.
Good news from several fronts can be reported, including the successful
completion of the second of the SWIOFP Theme Groups, dealing with
data management, hosted by the Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research
Institute Mombasa.
Administration
· Much appreciated good news was received from the World Bank when they
announced the appointment of Mr Tijan Sallah as the Bank's Task Team Leader for
the SWIOFP programme. Tijan will add further impetus and capacity to SWIOFP, and
he comes with experience that has involved working in both the Asia and Africa
regions for the World Bank. For the past 9 years he has been working in the Middle
East North Africa Region in the Agriculture and Environment Unit. Tijan has already
expressed a great interest in joining the SWIOFP programme and we sincerely
welcome him to SWIOFP family!
· SWIOFP is a complex programme with considerable unavoidable hurdles and
impediments as a result of dealing with so many countries. Although there has been
excellent participation, several administrative and logistical problems have slowed the
pace of progress during this PDF-B phase. As a result, the secretariat is requesting an
extension of the PDF-B phase until end 2004. This is currently being considered.
Programme development
The second of three Theme Working Groups was held at the Reef Hotel in Mombasa
on 8 and 9 October 2003. Hosted by KMFRI and chaired by Dr. Renison Ruwa, the
meeting was attended by expert delegates from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South
Africa and Comoros. Unfortunately, the other countries were not able to attend.
Although Somalia is not at this stage a formal member, some attention was devoted to
this region by several of the participants with a knowledge of, and interest in Somali
fisheries.
The workshop defined the following primary objectives:
· To list primary information needs based on the Science Plan.
· To identify potential sources of existing data.
· To develop approaches to data sharing and management.
· To identify capacity requirements in support of data processing.
Dr. Maloto, head of Kenya's Coastal Zone Planning programme, opened the
proceedings. He emphasised the great opportunities being created by SWIOFP,
NEPAD and other regional programmes to achieve a regional vision and a shared
responsibility for regional marine resource management and development. This was
followed by a number of pertinent presentations, including one from Mika Odido who
reported on the IOC-UNESCO experience in setting up regional data centres in the
WIO. Melckzedeck Osore also reported on challenges and progress with the
ODINAFRICA programme.
After the opening presentations, focus was directed to the Science Plan, which had
been drafted at the Cape Town meeting and had earlier been circulated. There was
considerable discussion and the following points emerged:
· The Science Plan was in fact a Science Framework that set out a programme of
activities.
· It had become increasingly clear that the original plan to collect extensive new
data was premature and that the wealth of existing data needed to be identified
and interpreted as an initial basis for SWIOFP's development and progress.
· In view of this, the meeting proposed some 10 separate "projects" that would
result in the development of a comprehensive catalogue and associated meta-
database of information and data sources relevant to SWIOFP.
· These projects could be executed by partner institutions, which would not only
result in a cohesive regional approach but also assist in developing appropriate
capacity and networking in those institutions and hence for the benefit of
SWIOFP in the long-term.
· As a start, the meeting developed a first set of draft project proposals to deal
with each country's own records and historic data that will be relevant to
SWIOFP.
· It was agreed that a full set of proceedings emanating from the workshop
would be made available as soon as possible. Included would be several of the
supporting documents presented at the meeting.
· The meeting expressed its appreciation to KMFRI and its staff for having
excelled at the arrangements, even to the point of "forfeiting" their public
holiday on the 10th, to ensure that all the delegates were safely despatched back
to their home countries.
Programme Progress
The two recent workshops have considerable advanced the programme and have also
assisted in refining the approach. The website is still under construction but nearing
completion. Several administrative tasks need to be undertaken, especially those
associated with the PDF-B extension.
Updated table of Activities
INTERIM PROGRESS
Task
Action
Status
Deadline
Secretarial support.
Appoint
Achieved
Completed
Science Plan workshop
Workshop in Cape
Achieved
Completed
Town- MCM
Data Management
KMFRI- Mombasa
Achieved.
Completed
workshop
Data Management
KMFRI- Circulate
Underway
End October 2003
procedures
minutes- feedback
from partners
Procurement Workshop
TAFIRI- Dar es
Final plan to be
1st week
Salaam
confirmed
November
Plenary SWIOFP meeting Arrange and prepare
Underway
8-9 Dec. Maputo
Create basic SWIOFP
Design and host,
Underway
Delayed to end
Website
Compile content- send
Oct. 2003
out for review
Interface with other WIO
Document other
Ongoing: contact
Ongoing
programmes, including
programmes;
with IOTC.
LME
circulate- establish
links.
Negotiate PDF-B
Secretariat to expedite Underway
End October 2003
extension to end 2004
Final project vision
Compile draft;
Basic framework
End December
document submitted to
circulate
being designed
2004
GEF
Events and activities
During the recent World Parks Congress in Durban, SWIOFP was noted in several sessions
and the subject of considerable positive discussion.
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Ana Paula Baloi
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira (IIP)
SWIOFP coordinator
Maputo, Mozambique
Tel: + 258 1 490536 / 490307 / 499963
Fax + 258 1 492112
Email: swiofp@moziip.org