At a general meeting held on 17 June in Maputo with the UNDP Resident Representative, FAO Representative and the Coordinator of the project MOZ/82/007 (Marine Fishery Training, Quality Control and Development), UNDP indicated that a ceiling of US$2.5 million was contemplated for the fishery sector in the 1987–1991 Country Programme:
UNDP Also stated that:
Utmost importance was attached to the continuation of MOZ/82/007 and to the execution of a project for shrimp culture, both being included in the first draft of the Country Programme as MOZ/86/030 for MOZ/82/007, and MOZ/86/033 for the shrimp project;
Financing of the support project for the Small-Scale Fishery (SSF) should be considered after further study, the tuna project MOZ/86/038 being regarded as possibly more suitable for bilateral or joint-venture funding;
MOZ/86/030 should also upgrade national teachers capabilities;
its continuation should be considered for a period of three years starting in 1987;
Low cost expatriate experts should be employed as much as possible; and
Careful consideration should be given to the possibility of splitting MOZ/86/030 into two projects with separate management: one covering activities of the Fisheries Training Centre at Matola (FTCM), and the other Fish Inspection and Quality Control Service (FIQCS) in Beira.
2.2.1. Marine Fishery Training
In spite of severe difficulties caused by past history and present situation in Mozambique, this project has achieved significant results during its Phase II. This is shown by its outputs which, by the end of 1985, represented about 64% of targeted goals with 96 grade D fishermen and motorists, 53 skippers-motorists and 13 grade C second lieutenants and third motorists.
The FTCM and its training fleet (T/B CANOPUS, ORION, ANTARES and CRUZEIRO DO SUL) were inspected and found to be operational and in good general condition.
After several working sessions with the national and international teaching personnel, FTCM Director and the Project Coordinator, it was found that (a) curricula were generally adequate, (b) national teachers had acquired a fair professional level in the theoretical aspects of their speciality, and (c) international teachers under Government contract were well qualified and efficient.
It was found however that, for a productive Phase III, important constraints should be rapidly overcome, in particular:
In the past the FTCM had recruited the bulk of its students among grade 4 primary school level, giving them a one year course for upgrading to level 6 before attending professional programmes to grade D. In order to avoid dispersion of its capacities, the FTCM should now accept only grade 6 students;
Practical sea training at the Centre, which had been low, should be drastically intensified in the future, with a total of about 205 sea days per student during attendance of courses D, C and B (1);
Practical sea training at FTCM should not consist only in trainees' participation in fishing operations but, for grades C and D, essentially in the development of their decision making capabilities and boat handling and commanding during fishing operations (2);
National teachers, who possess only scanty sea going experience should rapidly acquire in this field a level sufficient for them to be able to ensure optimal quality of their teaching, in particular for grade C and D students (3); and
Practical sea training of graduates in the commercial fleet during the four years of their attendance at the Centre, which has not been controlled at this stage, should be organized by the FTCM to ensure that graduates are not relegated to non-skilled jobs at sea, but are trained in the practice of their speciality (1).
Footnote:
(1) A note on the organization of sea training, (ANNEX 1),
was released to FTCM expatriate personnel and its terms
generally accepted after discussion.
(2) Broad outlines of trainees' curricula and activities at
sea are given in ANNEX 4 of the project document for
Phase III.
(3) Outlines of teachers' sea training are given in the ANNEX
4 of project document for Phase III.
These constraints were discussed with the Director of Economy of the Secretariat of State for Fisheries (DE-SEP) who agreed that counteracting measures should be dealt with within Phase III. SEP agreed in particular on the following points:
The continuing need for a FAO Project Coordinator;
The admission of grade 6 students to grade D professional courses and, as far as possible, the withdrawl of the FTCM from activities concerned with primary school teaching for grade 4 students;
The increase in national teacher strength from the present 9 to 19;
The training at sea of these teachers, on board the commercial fleet;
The improvement of students' practical training at FTCM and, to ensure this: (i) the continuing presence of a Chief Engineer for T/B CANOPUS, and (ii) the recruitment of a marine engineer responsible on shore for maintenance and repair of all project machines,
The organization and strict control of graduates activities during their training in the commercial fleet through: (i) arrangements with the national and joint-venture fishing companies, (ii) incentives to the seagoing officers of these companies to encourage them to train FTCM graduates, and (iii) control at sea of this training by FTCM teachers embarking on board the commercial fleet; and
FAO technical supervision of, and support to the execution of curricula by project expatriates and national staff, through consultancies averaging 4 to 5 m/m per year.
2.2.2. Fish Inspection and Quality Control Service
The project has achieved substantial results in this field. In particular, activities of the FIQCS laboratory it introduced in Beira have permitted improved quality of exported shrimp, resulting in a reduction in the amount of defective products for export.
After working sessions with the Institute of Fisheries Research (IIP) in Maputo, and the Fish Inspection Laboratory in Beira, it was found however that, in spite of the positive achievements mentioned above, some deficiencies still exist and should be remedied during Phase III, in particular through:
Improved handling and processing practices at sea and on shore of fish products for the internal and external markets; and
Written quality standards and procedures for sampling, testing and certification of export consignments, to be later incorporated into the legislation.
These needs were discussed with the DE-SEP who agreed that continuing support should be ensured during Phase III, through a quality control/fish inspection expert and two shrimp processing experts, each for a duration of two years. An expansion of national personnel involved is also necessary for further training to allow implementation of (a) and (b) above. Details of fundings are described in ANNEX II.
2.2.3. Technical Support to the SEP: Development
The DE-SEP emphasized that general development support be continued during Phase III through the provision of expertise to be delivered by the project permanent expatriate personnel or consultancies, in required fields of assistance.
2.2.4. Project Management
The advisability of splitting the new project into two components with separate managements, one for the FTCM in Maputo and the other for the FIQCS in Beira, was carefully evaluated with the SEP. It appeared that, on account of prevailing difficulties in the field of transport and communications, and also statal administration, the FIQCS component should to be kept under the administrative responsibility and coordination of MOZ/86/030 by the Project Coordinator, whose main office will remain at SEP headquarters in Maputo.
Shrimp culture potentialities in the country, which seem considerable, and the need for their utilization, were studied with the IPP. Suitable areas for the introduction of the pilot project were also visited in the vicinity of Maputo. Details of findings are described in ANNEX III. The attached project document (MOZ/86/033, ANNEX 4) was formulated with the main immediate objectives of introducing the activity and of determining its financial and economic feasibility for eventual investment purposes. The document was fully accepted by the SEP and IPP.
Results of project FAO/GCP/MOZ/006/SWE were studied with the IPP and the FAO expert involved who would be continuing activities within TCP/MOZ/5653 project. Conclusions were that a tuna pole-and-line fishery could be a feasible activity in the country and will assist considerably in solving nutritional problems and, at the same time, in increasing and diversifying fish product exports. It was also found that this fishery could constitute an alternative supply of raw material for the factory presently installed in Beira by the EEC with, among other capacities, a 3,000 t/year cannery. This factory was visited and found to be in an advanced state of construction.
The TUNA, a 21.50 m boat suitable for pole-and-line fishing, presently under construction, was visited, as well as the 15 m boat nearly completed and earmaked for TCP/MOZ/5653.
These findings were discussed with the DE-SEP and a pilot project for investment, based on the use of the TUNA, proposed. The DE-SEP indicated that this project should not only cover semi-industrial tuna activities in the area of Maputo/Beira, but also coastal artisanal fisheries in the northern waters approximately between the border with Tanzania and Angoche.
The attached project document (MOZ/86/038, ANNEX 4) was therefore formulated, with indication that prior prerequisites for its execution were the completion of the TUNA and of the three smaller boats required for live-bait production and artisanal fishing.
It must be noted that, in case of reduced funding, only one of the two components of this project could eventually be financed. In this case, a project dealing only with semi-industrial fishery would cost approximately US$1.1 million, and one dealing only with the artisanal fishery, about US$0.5 million.
The situation of the SSF was studied with the SSF Direction Unit (UDPPE). The main difficulties in SSF development were diagnosed as being not so much the quantity of external development aid, which is indeed relatively important, but mainly the insufficient capacities of the SEP, in (a) formulating overall development policies, (b) coordinating external development assistance, (c) identification of adequate inputs needed, (d) establishing proper specifications for material input necessities, (e) managing the Fisheries Complexes (Combinados Pesqueiros), and (f) for generally, absorbing and monitoring development aids.
This situation was discussed with the DE-SEP, UDPPE and the Director of Human Resources of the SEP. These authorities indicated that the development assistance given by the MONAP/SIDA including a SIDA fisheries coordinator within SEP (1), will probably finish by the end of 1987. They confirmed that the above-mentioned weaknesses existed and, therefore, that a follow-up to MONAP/SIDA assistance was a high priority for the strengthening of SEP capabilities.
Footnote
In this connection they emphasized that (a) the Senior Fisheries Development Expert who would be appointed as Programme Leader of a future support project should take responsibility for formulating technical aspects of SSF policies and for participation in decision taking and implementation activities in this field, and (b) this specialist should be completed by a senior expert in fishery business management to be particularly responsible for: (i) improving management and productivity of the Fisheries Complexes, (ii) producing specifications of needed production inputs, and (iii) organizing and monitoring purchase, delivery, storage and distribution of these inputs.
To these necessities for upgrading of the SSF, they added that their short term development needed also supplementary expertise inputs in the fields of fishing technologies, fish marketing and equipment maintenance and repair.
The attached project (ANNEX 4) was formulated along these lines. It must be noted that, in case of reduced funding, priority should be given to upgrading of the SSF, this entailing provision of the Senior Fishery Development and of the Fishery Management experts mentioned above, at a cost of approximately US$0.8 million, instead of about US$2.0 million for the entire project.
A visit to the national shrimp fleet in Beira indicated that this fleet was generally old and in rather bad condition. It was also found that its boats were apparently too powerful and sophisticated for the coastal peneid shrimp fishery, which could be carried out by a greater number of units of smaller sizes and simpler design and, generally speaking, less capital intensive and easier to handle by Mozambican fishermen. (1)
This observation was conveyed to the DE-SEP together with the deduction that the existence of the present fleet could have been the result of assumptions which were perhaps adequate in other times or circumstances, but were not appropriate for a productive fishery in the present situation. Therefore, the idea was expressed that, instead of envisaging the rehabilitation of the old shrimpers, a better solution could be to study first the feasibility of progressively replacing them by smaller boats, e.g. 20–24 m/350–500 HP units of a type currently utilized in most of the tropical peneid shrimp fisheries, including proper processing facilities required for Mozambican export products.
Footnote
(1) Approximately 80% of the fleet has foreign captains, engineers and mates.
This idea raised strong interest at SEP but could not be examined thoroughly within the short duration of the mission. This matter should be presented to DDC for further action.
The Secretary was briefed on the mission's work and findings. He supported the four project documents and indicated that it was very difficult for the SEP to define priorities among them as all were extremely important for the development of the sector and had been already selected among several other projects.
The four project documents were presented at a first final meeting held on 2 July in Maputo with the UNDP Resident Representative, FAO Representative, DE-SEP, SEP staff and the Coordinator of the project MOZ/82/007. UNDP maintained its preliminary position regarding appraisal of priorities and indicated that it favoured funding of the the training, quality control project and of the shrimp project.
At this stage UNDP notified that it might finance Phase III of the training quality control project for a five year period after all, and that efforts should be made to reduce expensive FAO expertise as far as possible. The mission stressed that even if during the two last years of the project the national staff might be in a position to fulfil several expert duties, expatriate expertise would continue to be necessary for the post of Project Coordinator, for the T/B CANOPUS Captain and Chief Engineer posts, and for consultancies to support and monitor programme execution. UNDP agreed to these points.
The document was therefore amended and a second meeting was held on 18 July with the following results:
UNDP agreed with the project document MOZ/86/030 for five years and was ready to finance its execution;
UNDP agreed with the project document for shrimp culture (MOZ/86/033), and was ready to finance its execution before January 1987, if SEP could obtain a quick approval from the National Planning Commission (CNP);
The UNDP position remained unchanged about the two other project documents; and
DE-SEP advised that SEP would immediately transmit the four documents to the CNP for preparation of IPE negotiations.
Advance information copies of the four project documents were unofficially released to the UNDP Resident Representative, FAO Representative, DE-SEP and the Coordinator of MOZ/82/007.
It is felt that, between the two projects presently without funding guarantees, the SSF and the Tuna one, priority should be given to the Development of Small-Scale Fisheries. Firstly, the country should make better use of the existing fishery and of the considerable external material aid it received for it. The development of a new tuna fishery, to be built from scratch, and with rather important investment needs, should take place later.
In case of reduced funding for the SSF project, priority should be given to the appointment of the Senior Fisheries Development Officer and of the Senior Fisheries Business Manager. These two specialists will need a two year appointment at a cost of US$0.8 million, instead of US$2.0 million for the entire project.
In case of reduced funding for the tuna project a choice is possible between the semi-industrial and the artisanal fisheries. A Project for the first, however, would seem more interesting, in particular for the supply of raw material to the EEC cannery in Beira. It will cost about US$1.1 million against US$0.5 million for the artisanal component.
The problem of deciding whether the present shrimp fleet should be rehabilitated or progressively replaced by more adequate units should be brought to DDC attention.
As soon as the funding of MOZ/86/030 Phase III has been confirmed, the following actions are recommended:
The Project Coordinator should remain in post until the end of 1989;
Present Fish Quality Control Expert should remain in post until the end of 1988;
Present Chief Engineer of T/B CANOPUS should continue his duty until the end of the project;
The first monitoring and supporting mission (training) should take place in April 1987 and last for 1.5 months;
About US$100 000 on line 40 should be deposited with FAO for purchase of spare parts through the Fleet Management Unit; and
Expatriate experts recruited by the Government appear to be well qualified and efficient, and to cooperate fully with FAO project personnel; all efforts should be made to keep them in the project.
