1. The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) held its Third Session from 21 to 26 November 1977 in Bujumbura, Burundi. The session was attended by representatives from 18 Member Nations, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), by observers from Belgium, France and Rwanda, and from two international organizations. A list of delegates and observers is given in Appendix A of this report.
2. The session was opened by Mr. Edouard Niyonbago, Director-General of Agriculture of Burundi, who acted as Chairman of the Committee. He called upon His Excellency Mr. Lazare Runesa, Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Production and Rural Development of Burundi, who welcomed the participants on behalf of the Government of Burundi. He expressed the wish that sub-regional cooperation between countries bordering international waters, particularly in East Africa, be intensified and formalized under the auspices of CIFA. He made specific reference to Lake Tanganyika where he felt such sub-regional cooperation would greatly facilitate project identification, financing and implementation at the regional level and promote resources conservation (Appendix B).
3. The Chairman then called upon Dr. T.V.R. Pillay who addressed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO and the Assistant Director-General (Fisheries Department). He reviewed the work carried out by CIFA since its Second Session (1975) and suggested guidelines for future activities in the light of international development and FAO's programme reorientation which aims at achieving self-reliance in the region. FAO was ready, he said, to assist in building up the capacity within the region to enable it to support the secretariat of regional bodies (Appendix C).
4. The Resident Representative of UNDP in Burundi, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Yonké, in his address to the participants, reviewed technical cooperation efforts in the field of fisheries in Burundi in recent years and outlined development and research needs for the future and the crucial role envisaged by UNDP in the implementation of a regional programme (Appendix D).
5. The provisional agenda was adopted, as attached (Appendix E).
6. In accordance with Recommendation 75/6 of the Second Session of CIFA, the Symposium held in conjunction with the Third Session was on River and Floodplain Fisheries. This Symposium was held from 21 to 23 November 1977 under the Chairmanship of Mr. T.T. George (Sudan). Twenty-nine papers were presented, whenever possible by their authors or by persons acquainted with the authors' work. The Symposium was held in five sessions, and the scope was enlarged somewhat in order to discuss aspects of fish stock evaluation in lakes. The five sessions were:
| Session I | Assessment and evaluation of lake fish stocks |
| Session II | Problems of Sahelian rivers and lakes |
| Session III | Ecological and dynamic consideration of river fish stocks |
| Session IV | Fishery technology as applied to artisanal inland fisheries |
| Session V | Strategy for the future development of African inland fisheries |
7. The papers relevant to these sessions, together with a resumé of discussions and conclusions, will be published in the CIFA Technical Papers series.
8. The Symposium also formulated three recommendations arising from the discussions, which were endorsed by the plenary session of the Committee:
Recommendation 77/1
Establishment of a CIFA Working Party on Fishery Institutions
Discussing the manpower and research training requirements and facilities for African middle and high-level cadres in fisheries, the Third Session of CIFA noted that the fishery research and training institutions were somewhat unevenly distributed over the continent. In order to ensure harmony and avoid duplication of effort, the Committee recommended the establishment of a working party charged with the coordination of the activities of these institutions. The working party would also seek to determine the needs of the member countries with respect to the duration and type of training fellowships granted by FAO and other agencies.
The Committee, reflecting the view of the Director-General of FAO on the use of national institutions, urged that where appropriate African fishery workers be trained in African institutions where they will be exposed to African conditions.
Recommendation 77/2
Establishment of a CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika
The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa:
Considering the need for coordination of research, development and management of the common resources of Lake Tanganyika,
Considering the present lack of coordination in fishery activities between the countries sharing the resources of Lake Tanganyika,
Hereby establishes, in accordance with Rule IX, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Procedure of CIFA, an Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for the promotion of international cooperation between the countries surrounding Lake Tanganyika, hereinafter referred to as the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika.
Terms of reference
The functions of the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika shall in particular include the following:
To act for CIFA during the intersessional periods with respect to matters related to the fisheries of Lake Tanganyika
To develop a regional fishery project and bring it to the operational stage
To provide technical guidance to individual governments in the implementation of the regional project and ensure coordination of national projects in line with the regional objectives
To assist in seeking financial assistance for additional projects which could be an outcome of the regional project
To participate in the long-term integrated development of the fisheries of the area
To report to CIFA at each session on its activities during the preceding intersessional period
Meetings
The Sub-Committee should meet as early as possible in 1978 to advance the finalisation of the project document of the regional project. Other meetings will be held as required.
Membership
The membership of the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika shall consist of the four CIFA Member Nations surrounding Lake Tanganyika, i.e. Burundi, Tanzania, Zaire and Zambia.
The CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika shall elect its own officers.
Secretariat
The Secretary of the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for Lake Tanganyika shall be designated by the Director-General of FAO in consultation with the countries concerned.
Financing
The travel expenses of the representatives of the participating countries, when attending meetings of the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee on Lake Tanganyika, shall be borne by the countries themselves. CIFA further urges the Director-General of FAO to use his good offices to enable the Ad Hoc Sub-Committee to begin its work without delay.
Recommendation 77/3
Regional Centre for Coordination of the Management of Inland Fishery Resources in Africa
The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa:
Recognizing the need for coordination of information on research, development and management of the fishery resources of the inland waters of Africa,
Recognizing the need for periodic advice and assistance in various specialized activities, particularly in the planning and execution of stock assessment programmes, acoustic biomass estimation, automatic data processing, and other related aspects,
Recommends the establishment of a Regional Centre for Coordination of the Management of Inland Fishery Resources which will form an integral part of the CIFA secretariat in Africa (see paragraph 37 below) and have the following terms of reference:
To promote the coordination of stock assessment investigations being carried out in the various inland waters of the African region through the preparation and regular dissemination to member institutions of abstracts of appropriate current publications and of summary accounts of on-going fishery evaluation programmes
To provide, on request from member institutions, specialist advice and assistance on stock assessment activities, particularly the aspects of the organization of statistical sampling programmes, the semi-automatic and subsequent interpretation of the data as well as the use of sophisticated acoustic techniques for the estimation of fish biomass, distribution and fish behaviour
To compile and maintain an up-to-date annotated index of experts on African inland fisheries from which a regional pool of expert short-term assistance for needy institutions can be speedily arranged as an element of cooperation between developing countries of the region
It is envisaged that the Centre will develop over a three-year period to comprise:
a Centre coordinator
a librarian
consultants on acoustic survey and data processing
techniques
periodic consultancy inputs in other related disciplines
as required by junior supporting staff
The Centre should preferably be based in an area with good communications with other African countries.
It is anticipated that initial funding to establish the Centre might be sought from UNDP but that the Centre would also seek aid from interested bilateral donors to provide much of the specialized equipment and related facilities which will be required.
9. The Second Session of CIFA (1975) had stressed the need for FAO technical assistance to be provided to Member Nations (a) for the development of commercial pilot fish farms and (b) for the establishment of an African Regional Aquaculture Centre. Progress accomplished by FAO in these two particular fields, as shown in document CIFA/77/11, was discussed. The Committee agreed that further efforts should be made in the future to consolidate results and promote further similar action.
Working Party on Aquaculture
10. The Working Party on Aquaculture was created at the First Session of CIFA in 1972. During the Second Session in Accra, 1975, the recommendation of the Symposium on Aquaculture in Africa that the working party be continued was adopted by the Committee.
11. The report of the correspondence working party (document CIFA/77/3), covering the last biennium, was presented to the Committee. The three main activities related to economics, parasites and diseases, and exotic fish and shellfish, were discussed.
12. General agreement was reached concerning the priority to be given to the preparation and to the pilot testing of (a) a practical accounting leaflet addressed to fish farmers through extension workers and to government stations, and (b) a questionnaire to serve as a basis for a socio-economic survey. The help of a specialized consultant should be enlisted as soon as possible.
13. It was agreed that studies on fish diseases and parasites should not be considered for the time being by the working party as a priority but it was strongly recommended (Recommendation 77/4) that training and research on fish diseases and parasites should be intensified in the universities of the region as well as in the various training and research aquaculture centres.
14. A strong warning about the possible deleterious effects of the uncontrolled introduction of exotic fish and shellfish into the inland waters of Africa was given (see Appendix G: Guidelines to be considered before introduction of exotic fish and shellfish species is attempted). It was recognized however that, whenever an exotic species became out of control, every effort should be made to exploit it profitably. It was recommended (Recommendation 77/5) that a national register be established by each Member Nation with a view to recording past and future introductions and their consequences. Such national registers would later become the basis for a Pan African set of records which might be centralized in the Africa Regional Aquaculture Centre.
15. The working party had also devoted some efforts to the production of written extension material. It was recommended (Recommendation 77/6) that future activities in this connection be executed with the help of specialized consultants working in close collaboration with members of the working party.
16. For the purpose of promoting stronger exchange of information among African aquaculture specialists, it was agreed that the list of aquaculture workers in Africa should be updated at regular intervals and widely circulated to Member Nations.
17. The Committee concurred with the conclusions of the working party and agreed that it should continue its work; however, its terms of reference should be slightly modified as follows, taking into account the above conclusions:
To collect and disseminate information to government agencies and research workers on:
Aquaculture economics, with particular emphasis on the preparation of a practical accounting pamphlet and a well-designed questionnaire to survey pond fish culture operations in government-controlled farms
The ecological impact of introduced exotic fish and shellfish
Specific cultural methods of important fish and shellfish species, with particular emphasis on low cost production systems involving the use of cages, enclosures, rice fields and organic wastes
18. The Committee studied two documents (CIFA/77/4 and CIFA/77/6) on artisanal fishing development; the first dealt with the role of fishery technology in the development of inland fisheries in Africa and the second with community fishery centres. These documents formed the basis of a full discussion on the strategy for the development of artisanal fisheries in Africa including strong and adaptable technology and training services.
19. The principles of fishery community centres were already being implemented with encouraging results in some countries such as Ghana and Malawi. In other countries results had been less satisfactory due to the inadequacy of technical support to provide extension or training services to fishermen, while in yet others failures had arisen because of inadequate prior assessment of the technical competence of the fishermen to adopt the new technology. It was also emphasized that the setting up of facilities for supplying food and fishing equipment, particularly appreciated by fishermen, often was a prerequisite for the successful operation of fishery community centres, particularly as regards the active participation of the fishermen.
20. In this context, the Committee referred to the regional project for the development of small-scale fisheries in Africa, which had been approved in an amended form at the Second Session of CIFA (1975). It noted with disappointment that this project had not been approved by UNDP but felt, however, that such a project was still basic to the development of inland fisheries and should be re-submitted in a form suitable to UNDP or another donor for approval.
21. Stress was laid on the importance of boat improvement, especially in the Sahel region where forest conservation warranted utilization of alternative materials, such as glass reinforced plastic (GRP). The relatively high cost of this material, in spite of its superior strength and durability, made an accurate study of investment costs necessary. Another possibility was the construction of planked boats which could be easily built and maintained. Wood could be imported from timber-producing countries in Africa.
22. As regards the introduction of new fishing techniques involving the construction of larger and more modern boats for artisanal fisheries, stress was laid on the importance of techno-economic studies of the profitability of prototypes, such as those carried out in Burundi and Tanzania of the artisanal purse-seining units introduced on Lake Tanganyika. The optimal size of such boats should be determined with due regard to the financial capacities of fishermen.
23. As in the case of boats, trials with new fishing gear should always be supplemented by comparative studies of the productivity/cost ratio of modern and traditional gear.
24. The loss in value and weight of fishery products due to insect infestation seemed especially serious, particularly in the Sahel region. New preservation methods were being tried out, e.g. in Ghana by improved smoking and storage, and in Mali (Opération pêche) by dipping the products in a solution of a biodegradable pesticide harmless to man—Gardona. In Burundi, very encouraging results had been obtained with Ndagala by salting, sun-drying, smoking and packing it in plastic bags.
25. Training of cadres and extension personnel was particularly important, especially in Sahelian countries. The representatives of the countries concerned strongly emphasized the urgency of setting up training facilities both for high and medium-level cadres and extension workers, as envisaged in the regional project for the Sahel.
26. As regards the Sudd fishery, the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan requested FAO's assistance in preparing a project document for the development of fishing methods suited to the particular conditions of this still largely under-exploited area, keeping in mind the project that had already been submitted to FAO/UNDP from that country.
27. In the light of the discussions on this item of the agenda, it was recommended (Recommendation 77/7) that the two papers referred to above (paragraph 18) be amalgamated to form a single publication, representing the strategy for the development of artisanal fisheries in the region, and that it be published in both languages of the Committee. It was also suggested that it could form a chapter in a fishery management manual to be published by FAO.
28. The Committee studied documents CIFA/77/9, CIFA/77/13 and CIFA/77/Inf. 3—International Cooperation for the Development of Inland Fisheries in the Sahel, Report on Fishery Activities by the Club of the Friends of the Sahel, and Model of Development Programme: Fishery Sector—and appreciated the secretariat's efforts in preparing them.
29. The Committee supported the main conclusions expressed in these documents and the work of the CIFA Ad Hoc Sub-Committee for the Sahel (see Appendix H). It requested the governments of the Sahelian zone and the organizations in this zone — the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Basin (OMVS), the Niger River Commission (NRC) and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)—to devote more attention to strengthening their fishery activities in view of the increasing importance of the inland fisheries of the zone.
30. CIFA was requested to continue providing assistance to countries having international fishery waters in other parts of Africa, but at present having no agencies to promote international collaboration, with a view to establishing such organizations in the near future.
31. In view of the universal and urgent needs for training in fisheries as clearly expressed by the countries, not only of the Sahelian zone but of all Africa, it appears necessary to consider seriously the possibility of enlarging the capacity for the proposed Sahelian regional school.
32. With this in mind it is recommended (Recommendation 77/8):
that FAO should discuss with the French Fonds d'Aide et de Coopération ways of continuing the financing of the Bouaké Centre, Ivory Coast, at least for an interim period until the regional school can take over. The probably opening date of the proposed school was expected to be 1980. In the meantime it was necessary to ensure continuation of existing institutions and procedures (fellowships among others).
that CIFA should analyze the needs of other interested countries in order to determine in which way it would be useful and possible to increase the capacity of the proposed regional school (45 students). The results of this analysis should be communicated to the regional project (TF/RAF/104/UNSO).
In line with (b) above, the Bouaké Centre (capacity 14 students) could, if kept functioning and incorporated into the regional school, play a very useful role which would make it possible, without greatly increasing the capacity of the regional school, to ensure training of a larger number of higher cadres.
33. The details and proposals of incorporating the Bouaké Centre into the regional school could be studied by the regional project.
34. The Committee was presented with a proposal (document CIFA/77/12) that the principal symposium theme for the Fourth Session of CIFA should be the planning, development and management of inland fisheries of Africa. CIFA endorsed the choice of this subject, which had also been requested by the Second Session in 1975, and recommended (Recommendation 77/9) that it should be adopted.
35. The Symposium should also pay particular attention to the management of international fishery waters and examine critically the interaction of conflicting water uses on fishery planning and development. In addition, it was felt that improvement of the traditional fisheries (technology, processing, marketing and fish culture) should be dealt with in the Symposium.
Amendments to CIFA's Statutes and Rules of Procedure
36. The amendments to the Statutes and Rules of Procedure, to bring them into harmony with the amended basic texts of FAO, were approved as proposed in document CIFA/77/10.
Transfer of the CIFA Secretariat to the African Region (Recommendation 77/10)
37. The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa:
Taking note of the desire of the African countries to locate the headquarters of CIFA in the African region, as expressed at the First Session of CIFA at N'Djamena in 1972 and reiterated at its Second Session at Accra in 1975,
Recognizing the Director-General's new policy of decentralization and his expressed willingness to transfer the headquarters of CIFA to the region,
Appreciates the new policy of the Director-General, and
Recommends that the move should be implemented before the next session of CIFA, and
Further recommends that the Director-General should contact prospective host countries and ensure that the regional headquarters of CIFA is given all the necessary facilities that will enable the Secretariat to carry out its functions effectively
International Foundation for Science (IFS)
38. The International Foundation for Science supported the participation of seven African research workers at the Third Session of CIFA. The Committee, in plenary session, requested that IFS's assistance be recorded in the proceedings and that official thanks be forwarded to the Foundation by the Secretariat. It was emphasized that closer coordination between IFS and CIFA programmes of research would be beneficial to the whole region. This question should be followed up at the Secretariat level.
39. Under Rule II of its Rules of Procedure, the Committee is required to elect at the end of every session a chairman and a maximum of three vice-chairmen who shall remain in office until the election of the new chairman and new vice-chairmen. Before the election the Committee agreed to interpret this rule to mean that the chairman and vice-chairmen should be elected by country, it being understood that the Director of Fisheries of the host country or any other person designed by the host government would act as chairman.
40. With this understanding, the representative of Malawi was unanimously elected Chairman of the Committee and the representatives of Senegal, Sudan and Upper Volta as Vice-Chairmen.
41. The delegate of Malawi invited CIFA to hold its Fourth Session in that country, subject to official approval by his government. Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania, in that order, also expressed great interest and invited CIFA for its next session. The beginning of 1980 was suggested as a possible time to hold the Fourth Session.
42. The session was closed with votes of thanks to the Chairman, Mr. Edouard Niyonbago, to the Government of Burundi for hosting the session, and to the supporting staff.
