Institutional Partners

South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission
The South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) is an advisory fisheries commission whose area of competence covers living marine resources within the Exclusive Economic Zones of coastal states of the SWIO. The negotiating process that led to the establishment of the Commission in November 2004 was initiated by coastal countries in 1999. In accordance with its statutes, the functions of the Commission include to keep under review the state of fisheries resources, provide a sound scientific basis for fisheries management decisions and advise member governments and competent fisheries organizations on management measures. It has established a Scientific Committee to, inter alia, assess and report to the Commission on the status of stocks, and formulate recommendations on fisheries conservation, management and research for the Commission or individual members. The key role of Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs) in contributing to meet this challenge is well acknowledged.
The Secretariat is based in Harare, Zimbabwe and can be contacted through Aubrey Harris (aubrey.harris@fao.org) at the FAO Subregional Office for Southern and East Africa.

Albion Fisheries Research Centre
The Albion Fisheries Research Centre carries out the research, development and management functions of the Mauritius Ministry of Fisheries. The basic objectives involve research and studies needed for the sustainable development and management of marine living resources (fish stocks, coral reef etc.); to provide support services to stakeholders of the fishing industry (including those involved in aquaculture development); to provide advice to policy makers on matters related to the management and development of living marine resources and the conservation of marine environment including the creation of marine parks and reserves in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act and the Environmental Protection Act; and to act as a focal point for collaborative research and management as regard regional and international fisheries and marine living resources.

Comoros National Institute for Research of Agriculture, Fishing and the Environment
The INRAPE are a public organization with scientific and technical skills, placed under the technical authority of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing, Industry, the Craft industry and the Environment.The INRAPE has the following roles:

Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental organization established under Article XIV of the FAO constitution. It is mandated to manage tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. The objective of the Commission is to promote cooperation among its members with a view to ensuring, through appropriate management, the conservation and optimum utilisation of stocks covered by this Agreement and encouraging sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks.

Institut de recherche pour le développement
The IRD is a French public science and technology research institute under the joint authority of the French ministries in charge of research and overseas development. The IRD has three main missions: research, consultancy and training. It conducts scientific programs contributing to the sustainable development of the countries of the South, with an emphasis on the relationship between man and the environment

Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira
The fisheries research institute of Mozambique (IIP) was established in 1978 and functions under the Ministry of Fisheries. Its objectives are to evaluate and report on the state of the marine resources harvested and provide recommendations regarding the sustainable management of these fisheries to the government. IIP serves as a focal point for several regional research activities and supports capacity building in marine science.

Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) is a State Corporation in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development of the Government of Kenya. It is mandated to conduct aquatic research covering all the Kenyan waters and the corresponding riparian areas including the Kenyan EEZ in the Indian Ocean waters. The Institute was established by an Act of Parliament in 1979 and is run by a Board of Management.

Vision: To be a centre of excellence in aquatic research and promotion of sustainable utilization of marine and freshwater resources.
Mission: To contribute to the management and sustainable exploitation of aquatic resources and thus alleviate poverty, enhance employment creation and food security through multidisciplinary and collaborative research in both marine and fresh-water aquatic systems.

Marine and Coastal Management (South Africa)
Marine and Coastal Management is the regulatory authority responsible for managing all marine and coastal activities in South Africa. Its responsibilities include allocation and managing of fishing rights (commercial and subsistence); regulating recreational fishing; managing marine protected areas; protecting and monitoring our coastal and estuarine resources; conducting research into fish stocks and providing advise on the status of fish stocks; controlling vehicle use on beaches; and promotes fish farming or Mari culture.

NORAD
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) is a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Norad's most important task is to contribute in the international cooperation to fight poverty.

Oceanographic Research Institute
The Oceanographic Research Institute, a not-for-gain organization, is located in Durban, South Africa and its influence and collaboration has extended well beyond South Africa's borders to include Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Eritrea, Somalia and other countries of the western Indian Ocean region. A team of experienced marine scientists and capable support staff constitute the ORI staff complement. Staff members participate in numerous regional, national and international committees dealing with marine science and resource management. ORI is affiliated to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, hence fulfilling a training role in marine science for post-graduate students. ORI also contributes significantly to awareness and capacity building in marine science at various other levels in society. It has modest but effective facilities and equipment that include a comprehensive and up-to-date library, computer systems, fisheries databases, salt water aquarium and mariculture facilities, laboratories and competent underwater (SCUBA) survey capacities.

Seychelles Fishing Authority
The SFA was incorporated on 31st August 1984 by the Seychelles Fishing Authority (Establishment) Act, although it existed since September 1983 as the Seychelles Industrial Fishing Authority (SIFA). The Authority was established at a time of intense development, especially in foreign industrial tuna fishing. It was created to develop the fishing industry to its fullest potential and to safeguard the resource base for sustainable development. The mandate of the SFA is to promote, organise and develop fishing, fishing industries and fishing resources in Seychelles; assist in the formulation of the national policy with respect to fishing, fishing industries and fishing resources and in the implementation of that policy; conduct negotiations, or engage in meetings, seminars or discussions, with regard to fishing or fisheries or the establishment or operation of fishing industries, whether at a national or international level, on behalf of the Republic or otherwise; and to identify the manpower training requirements of Seychelles with regard to fishing and fishing industries.

Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute
Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) is a parastatal organisation established in 1980 to cater for fisheries research in Tanzania. TAFIRI provides expert scientific and technical advice to Government on marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture and the protection of the aquatic environment. The areas of research priority include fisheries statistics and fish stock assessment; fish biology, taxonomy, and the fishery of commercially important species; socio-economic, fish processing and marketing studies; gear technology; and aquaculture.

WIO-Lab
The UNEP/GEF project “Addressing land-based activities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO-LaB)” addresses some of the main environmental issues related to the degradation of the marine and coastal environment resulting from land-based activities (LBA) in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. The project covers eight countries in the WIO Region (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and Mauritius) and is financed by the Norwegian government and the GEF. It is executed by the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and is designed to serve as a demonstration project for the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (UNEP/GPA). The objectives of the project are to (i) reduce stress to the marine and coastal ecosystem by improving water and sediment quality; (ii) strengthen the regional legal basis for preventing land-based sources of pollution; and (iii) develop regional capacity and strengthen institutions for sustainable, less polluting development. The WIO-LaB Project Management Unit is located at the UNEP/Nairobi Convention Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya.

EAF NANSEN
The project is executed by FAO in close collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) of Bergen, Norway and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).The EAF-Nansen Project is set to strengthen regional and country specific efforts to reduce poverty and create conditions to assist in the achievement of food security through development of sustainable fisheries management regimes and specifically through the application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries in a number of developing countries. The initial focus of the project is on Sub-Saharan Africa. The project is a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) related to eradication of poverty and hunger while simultaneously ensuring environmental sustainability.