J. González de la Rocha1 and J. Aguilar-Manjarrez2
One of FAO's primary roles is to provide technical assistance to their member countries in various areas. The present evaluation was a request for technical assistance by the Secretary of Agriculture, Animal Production, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) in Mexico to evaluate its National Fisheries Institute (INP).
In April 2004, SAGARPA consulted with FAO if the organization can conduct an evaluation of the INP. The Mexican government has had fruitful cooperation with FAO in fisheries related matters in the past, and has benefited from positive experiences in various technical assistance projects executed by FAO, amongst which of most importance/relevance are the results of a previous evaluation of the INP carried out by FAO (Csirke, Gumy and DeBoer, 1991)3. As a consequence of these consultations, it was determined that the most adequate mechanism for the new and present evaluation was to include it as part of the national evaluations already taking place as part of the activities of the project SAGARPA-FAO UTF/MEX/053/MEX “Evaluación de Alianza para el Campo”.
In December 2004, the Mexican government finalized its formal request for FAO's technical assistance for the evaluation and strengthening of the INP.
The present evaluation of the INP was completed by FAO/FI in September 2005. The main recommendation was to convert INP from a detached entity of SAGARPA into a decentralized institution with its own autonomy and budget. The results of the evaluation were presented during meetings held in June 2005 by the FAO/FI multidisciplinary mission in collaboration with the Mexican counterpart headed by Mr Usabiaga, former Secretary of SAGARPA in Mexico and the fisheries community of the country. The representatives of the social sector (fisheries cooperatives) and CANAINPESCA (Chamber of the Fisheries Industry) who attended one of the meetings, while expressing their satisfaction for the high quality of the evaluation and the recommendations for improving the INP, also suggested that an evaluation of the entire fisheries sector be undertaken as soon as possible by FAO (as was done for the INP). It was mentioned that, if formally requested, the FAO would be prepared to undertake such an evaluation. It was also mentioned that the mechanism used in the case of the evaluation of the INP could be used (that is the SAGARPA-UTF Project “Evaluation of Alianza para el Campo”). The representatives of the two sectors were further adviced that their request has to be submitted to SAGARPA-CONAPESCA at the first instance, who if in agreement would then make the request to FAO through the FAO Representation in Mexico.
During a meeting with the Mexican Delegation participating at the 33rdSessions of the FAO Conference, Mr Francisco Mayorga Castañeda (current Secretary of SAGARPA) and Mr Ramón Corral Ávila, National Fisheries Commissioner of CONAPESCA (National Commission on Aquaculture and Fisheries) commented that the evaluation of the entire fisheries sector is a major exercise that will require more inputs, efforts and funds than those required for the evaluation of the INP. Therefore, while agreeing on the importance of undertaking an evaluation of the whole sector as suggested, there is a need to first identify a proper source of funding for an exercise of that scale, and will report on the efforts that will be made in this direction.
The evaluation report is cited as: J. Csirke, A. Gumy, J. Lleonart, J. González de la Rocha, J.C. Seijo, E. Sosa y F.J. Martínez Cordero. 2005. Informe de la Evaluación para el Fortalecimiento del Instituto Nacional de la Pesca de México. Proyecto UTF/MEX/053/MEX. FAO, Rome. 47pp. (available at: http://www.inp.sagarpa.gob.mx/Nuevos/evaluacionINP/informefinal.pdf).
For more information please contact:
Jorge Csirke at FIRM
e-mail: [email protected]
Jorge de la Rocha at FIDP
e-mail: [email protected]
1 J. González de la Rocha
Programme Coordination Unit (FIDP)
FAO Fisheries Department, Rome
