EXPERTS CONFIRM RE-ORGANIZING FISH SECTOR IN YEMEN

By: Anisa Mui'd

SANA'A, May 17 (Saba) –A national strategy for managing fisheries represents is one of the main issues for promoting fishing activities in Yemen and activating its role in national economy as the most important productive sector.

Yemen News Agency (Saba) talked with a number of experts and officials over the importance of re-organizing the fishery sector.

European Commission's expert Maoro Joe said that re-organization of the fishery sector and national strategy for managing fisheries become very important, especially in this case of lower level of managing fishing activities and fragile relations between them and development partners.

"Creating a strategy including re-organizing fishing sector would contribute in getting modern mechanisms to working fishing facilities and having studied plans to complete fishing infrastructures throughout exploiting donors' support in implementation economic projects serving the sector," he added.

Continuation support presented by donors for this sector depends on making the strategy for managing the sector and also re-organizing it as they are considered main components to get benefit of international grants and loans, he indicated.

The EU expert stressed that lower contribution of fishing sector to the national economy is because absence of real administration of fisheries which caused deterioration in fishing production cost and making a huge damages in fish stockpile.
Joe called on officials in fishery sector to make use of international expertise in activating fishing sector's role for supporting national economy, adding the EU allocated more than € 10 million for supporting national strategy to improve fishing sector for creating modern administration for fishing units in Yemen. This includes all activities with concentration on sustainable administration and evaluation fishing stockpiles, in addition to raising living standards of fishermen.

He added that this support will not be fruitful and useful unless the Ministry of Fishery Wealth and its institutions are reshuffled. The fishing sector and its branches such as fishing, marketing, industry and additional services across the world represent one of the significant economic activities which countries and economic coalitions try to make use of it. They create programs to develop the sector as main priorities in its economic plans and its trade exchanging with other markets at regional and international levels.

For his part, the official of Rural Development, Water and Environment at The World Bank Naji Abu Hatim said that the importance of fishing sector become giant in Yemen as other Arab countries in which food crisis is increasing as securing food is the biggest challenge facing countries and this what emphasizes importance of making strategies to get big benefits of fishing sector as one of the promising sectors.

He added that fishery wealth is renewable and endless and needs protection and good exploitation by ranges of measures such as reorganization the fishing sector, completing legislations, providing financial and technical support and making practical strategy to build and improve fishing sector on scientific and practical bases to ensure great development in all fields.

The situation of fishing resources have been unknown during last period because of absence of scientific researches and statistics particularly that relating to fishing stockpile which is facing irregular consumption, he added.

Abu Hatem confirmed that the current framework of the sector, institutional and legislative polices in Yemeni fishing sector is unable to achieve best investment for fishing resources as well as selling and marketing fishing products aren't reaching high level in quality and cleanness.


The official of rural development, water and environment in the World Bank stressed on continuous evaluation of fishery stockpile to ensure utilizing resources the best way.

For his part, consultant of New Zealand Pros Shalred firm the responsible of carrying out fishing sector reorganization project in Yemen Yahya al-Wade'e confirmed the importance of reorganization of the sector because this move would get solutions for all sector's problems.

The sector reorganization would enhance the supervisory role of Fisheries ministry and creating fishing bodies in strategic sites at a length of coastal line to deal with fishing wealth as sovereign one the government has to manage it and organize its resources in addition to these bodies would be under central supervision by the ministry, al-Wade'e said.


He added that reorganizing fishing sector is considered unusual project in Yemeni life so it would face some difficulties which will be ended after all see the good results in practical life, he added.

"Infrastructure and main services in fish marketing are still suffering negligence except the projects which are carried out by the ministry of fishery wealth through public works projects and projects financed by donors," he indicated.

Also, fishing cooperative associations are still suffering of being not able to meet the tasks and activities which were established for them including presenting services for fishermen in all marketing centers and public sales, affirming necessity of qualifying them in these fields within future plans.

He stressed the importance of enabling scientific research in making scientific results all fishing activities can depend on as well as preparing naval censorship and inspection administration to protect it from destroying and looting..

Experts refer the main reasons of the lower contribution of fishing sector to general domestic product to absence of national strategy to mange fisheries, reducing scientific researches and the absences of research base for fishing stockpile.

The priorities of Fishery Ministry is creating active strategy for the sector including all ways which help to invest the unexploited resources until now, said undersecretary of the Deputy Minister of Fisheries for planning sector and fishing projects Abul -Hadi Al-Khadher.

The sector contributing in national economy will not come only through encouraging new investment because of the sector has big chances particularly in industries and fish growing and numerous fields which promote additional price for fish product, he said.

Al-Khadher affirmed that the ministry is serious in developing infrastructure to meet the challenges including creating balanced investments with products in different economic activities of fish such as industry of improved boats, refrigerators, ice factories, maintenance of motors and fishing tools.

The priorities of the strategy also include training all cadres in the sector and modernizing the supported legislations for sustainable development for fishing.

The strategy's main aim is protecting the fishing wealth and its stores and raising the fishermen standards through group of projects; either those relating to fishing and marketing or other serviced projects in fishermen gatherings in coastal provinces, he pointed.

Over reshuffling the Ministry of Fishery Wealth, Deputy Minister Al-Khadher said the ministry seeks to implement the reshuffle on scientific foundations and regulations imposed by the government directions for inclusive economic and administration reforms. This aims to solve the mistakes and faults fishery sector suffers from in productive, marketing, administrative, investment and information fields.