Annual report for the UNU-FTP

Draft,

2. October 2006

Tumi Tómasson,

programme director

Introduction

The UNU-FTP was established in 1997 and the first six fellows arrived in August 1998 for six month post-graduate training in fisheries. The training is applied in nature and fellows admitted to the programme must have a minimum of a first university degree or the equivalent and two years’ work experience. To date 126 fellows have completed the six month training and the annual intake is around twenty. So far about 45% of fellows have come from sub-Saharan Africa and 33% from Asia. In all, fellows from 23 countries have completed the course. About one-third of the fellows are women. Further description of the programme can be found at www.unuftp.is

Six month training in Iceland

The intake is in late August or early September. In late February, 23 fellows from 14 countries graduated from the programme. They had specialised in four main areas, Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing, Marine and Inland Waters Resources, Assessment and Monitoring, Fishing Technology, and Aquatic Environmental Assessment and Monitoring. In early September nineteen fellows from fourteen countries started the six month training.

All fellows are selected through an interview process and in consultations with the directors of cooperating institutions. This year visits were made to Sri Lanka and Malaysia, to the Caribbean, Belize, Cuba and Jamaica, to Brazil at the invitation of UNU-PREP (Pantanal Regional Environmental Programme) and to southern Africa, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola.

MSc fellowships to former fellows

In 2005 the UNU-FTP started to offer MSc fellowships to former fellows who gain entry into Icelandic universities. One started studies in 2005 and in August 2006 two more commenced their studies. The fellows have been awarded 12-15 credits towards their MSc degree for their studies in the UNU-FTP, or the equivalent of one semester out of four.

Strategic plan for the UNU-FTP

Increased financial contributions by the Icelandic government to the UNU-FTP have led to an increase and diversification in activities. The board of the UNU-FTP has so far met five times in 2006, including a two day workshop to develop a strategic plan for the UNU-FTP for the next few years. The draft strategic plan is now being presented to stake holders and should be finalised by the end of the year. The plan is in line with the strategic directions of the UNU and a strategic plan for Icelandic development cooperation, published last year. An increased emphasis is placed on the involvement of the private sector, follow-up with former fellows, the development and implementation of workshops and short courses in partner countries, and cooperation with ICEIDA and other international development cooperation agencies and organisations.

Workshop in Namibia

At the beginning of the year, planning for a workshop on the status and future development of fisheries and aquaculture in southern and eastern Africa was initiated. The workshop was held in Windhoek, Namibia on 22-24 August. It was a cooperative project between the UNU-FTP and ICEIDA. Senior fisheries officers and planners from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa and Namibia were invited, as were experts from regional organisations, FAO, WB and NORAD. Among participants were also ICEIDA staff and lecturers/supervisors and former fellows of the UNU-FTP. A total of about 70 participated in the workshop full time. The workshop was opened by the president of Namibia and the Namibian minister of fisheries and marine resources welcomed participants. The workshop coincided with an official visit by the Icelandic minister of marine fisheries who also closed the meeting.

Three former fellows gave presentations at the workshop, based on research they had started in their projects while on the UNU-FTP programme. UNU fellows from all participating countries presented posters on fisheries and aquaculture in their home countries and many of the 12 UNU-FTP fellows acted as rapporteurs of work sessions. The workshop provided a good opportunity for former UNU-FTP fellows to forge stronger links among the alumni, as well as with other participants. More detail about the workshop, programme, participants, presentations and posters can be found on the ICEIDA website: www.iceida.is

Development and implementation of short courses in partner countries

Substantial progress has been made on the development and implementation of short courses to be held in partner countries.

In 2004-2005 a fellow from Tanzania revised and reformed a data base for artisanal fisheries as her final project www.unuftp.is/Proj04/fatmaPRF04.pdf Based on the project and the revised data base, a short course on the Maintenance and operation of a data base on artisanal fisheries was held for fisheries officers of the statistical unit of the department of fisheries in Tanzania early in the year.

A short course on fish handling and food safety in Sri Lankan fisheries harbours was developed for harbour managers was developed in cooperation with ICEIDA and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). One former fellow took part in the work. The materials for the course are now ready in English and are being translated into Shinhala and Tamil. The course is scheduled to be held in October this year.

A second work meeting to develop a two week course on the Use of basic fisheries statistics data in assessing the status of fish stocks in the South Pacific was held in Fiji in June. The course is a cooperative project between the UNU-FTP, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific and will be held in Fiji in November-December. A second follow-up course is planned for the following year.

In September, a work meeting to prepare a short course on the stability of fishing vessels with regard to their design and operation was held in Sri Lanka. The course is part of a cooperative project between FAO and the UNU-FTP. A work meeting to prepare a short course on profitability assessment in fisheries and aquaculture to be held in Cuba is scheduled for later this year also in cooperation with FAO. In both cases, former UNU-FTP fellows form a part of the counterpart teams and experts who lecture and provide supervision on the UNU-FTP take part in developing the course materials and the training of counterparts

Preparations for further short courses are underway. This includes a short course in fisheries management to be held in Fiji in cooperation with FAO, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific. A lecturer form the USP will participate in the six week specialist course in fisheries policy and planning in October-November and a one week working meeting including experts from the other parties will be held.

Preparations for short courses in quality management to be held in Mozambique in cooperation with ICEIDA and Escola de Pesca are also underway. Two teachers from the institution are expected to participate in the specialist course on Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing in our regular training programme and start the work of designing and writing short courses for the fishing industry in Mozambique. Similar approach will be adopted for Angola and Namibia.