COMPONENTS
SWIOFP
has been structured into six distinct components, each with sub-components,
specific activities and action steps. A total of 60 such activities
have been identified, allowing for outputs tailored to specific
country needs.
Component
1: Kenya.
Data Gap Analysis, Data Archiving and Information Technology.
This component will establish a regional data management system
to underpin information needed to ensure management of regional
fisheries and to undertake a gap analysis to identify the specific
research activities to be supported by the project. This regional
database will be created during the first year of the Project
and will continue to operate and service the participating and
observer countries in SWIOFP, expanding the database with new
information from the SWIOFP research cruises and other relevant
data input from projects in the SWIO. The project database will
include fields for existing data describing by-catch, and provision
for adding information from Project-leased and commercial vessels
(that have Project observers onboard).The gap analysis will rely
on the development of a data atlas of historic data describing
offshore fisheries of the WIO. A single regional fisheries database
will be created using the data atlas, which reflects published
information, along with repatriated and consolidated data from
various sources. National fisheries related IT and communications
infrastructure will also be procured or upgraded for each of the
nine countries along with training in data handling and reporting.
Component
2: South Africa.
Assessment and sustainable utilization of crustaceans.
This second component involves the assessment of the stock dynamics
of crustaceans and their fisheries. Using ship-based surveys,
baseline assessment of crustacean stocks and fisheries will be
undertaken in the EEZs of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa,
Seychelles and Madagascar. This component will include evaluation
of by-catch (substantial in crustacean fisheries), discard impacts,
exclusion devices, and overall ecosystems impacts of crustacean
fisheries. The component is divided into shallow and deep water
sub-components.
Component
3: Tanzania.
Assessment and sustainable utilization of demersal fishes
Numerous demersal species are of current and, as yet, unknown
potential value. This component will involve the stock assessment
of these species and their associated fishery potential. Ship-based
surveys, using commercial gear, will establish baseline assessments
of stock and fisheries. Discards, by-catch, exclusion devices,
and ecosystems impacts in the EEZs of these fisheries will be
evaluated. Shallow and deep water sub-components have been identified.
Component
4: Seychelles.
Assessment and sustainable utilization of pelagic fish.
The stock dynamics of large, small, and mesopelagic species represent
three sub-components of the pelagic study. A specific focus involves
strategies to optimize small and large scale pelagic fisheries,
including techniques such as fish aggregating devices (FADs).
Activities will include ship-based surveys to assess the potential
of new and existing pelagic fisheries, studies on migration and
movement of selected large pelagic species (including sharks),
and research on optimization and development of FADs for large
and small scale pelagic fisheries. This component is specifically
designed to strengthen the projects of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
(IOTC) by focusing on activities related to smaller-scale fisheries
and by incrementally adding to the design of the IOTC Tuna Tagging
Program (using archival popup and sonic tags).
Component
5: Mauritius.
Mainstreaming biodiversity in national and regional fisheries
management.
As a specific contribution to the GEF Biodiversity Focal Area,
this component will investigate relationships between fisheries,
biodiversity processes and species diversity and elaborate how
these relationships could be better managed at national and regional
levels. This component underscores the fact that future decision
support to fishery development could be flawed and compromised
unless based on an ecosystem approach.
Examples include:
· A regional approach to by-catch assessment and reduction
in all fishery types
· Identification of biodiversity “hotspots”
such as spawning aggregations and nursery areas
· Understanding the possible impacts of fisheries on seed
populations and larval transport
· Ecological implications of selective removal of target
species, such as top predators
· Potential impact of changes in fishing technology, including
FADs.
Specific
elements for study are the interaction between non-commercial
marine resources (such as sea-birds and turtles) and commercial
fisheries. Studies will be financed out of a grant fund in order
to generate a baseline assessment, GIS mapping of key species,
assessments of marine biodiversity as alternative sources of income
and identification of bio-indicator species and relationships
between target species and ecosystem health.
Component
6: All partners.
Strengthening regional and national fisheries management.
This component specifically supports the emerging regional fisheries
management framework so as to build capacity in regional and national
fisheries management bodies. The project will work closely with
the SWIOFC to strengthen regional fisheries management structures
and build the capacity of national project offices to undertake
project activities. The project will also assist with the regional
harmonization of national fisheries regulations. Specific outputs
of this component include regionally harmonized management plans
for specific fisheries shared between the participating countries
which will collectively contribute to the TDAs and SAPs for the
Agulhas and Somali Currents LMEs.
Background and Context