Fish magnets
Fish aggregating devices along the coast of Somalia are enhancing the incomes of local fishers by attracting off-shore sustainable fish stocks. A broad-based programme is also providing technical training to youths on fisheries management to tackle unemployment levels and piracy in the region.
The livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishers in 20 communities of Somalia are being uplifted through the deployment of 25 fish-aggregating devices (FADs). Positioned at carefully selected deep-water locations, the FADs are attracting large numbers of fish species otherwise unavailable to the fishermen such as tuna and mackerel. The FADS are also reducing the distance fishers have to travel for their catch and increasing incomes.
In Somalia, over 1 million people face severe food insecurity, while an estimated 307,800 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished. Rebuilding the fisheries sector after years of conflict will be key to strengthening food security and nutrition among the Somali population and generating employment, especially among women.
Economic opportunities are also being promoted for young people living in coastal communities in north-eastern and central areas of Somalia. The Coastal Communities against Piracy project is providing technical training on fishery management to almost 200 youths to increase fish catch, reduce fishing costs and better manage vital marine resources. "The fight against piracy cannot be achieved just by strengthening regional coordination and capacity for maritime security, it must be supported by creating alternative livelihoods and economic opportunities,” says Veronique Lorenzo, the EU's head of delegation for Somalia.
