Country review: Djibouti

Gary Morgan
FAO Consultant, Fishery Policy and Planning Division, Fisheries Department
August, 2004

INTRODUCTION

Djibouti occupies a key strategic position on the eastern side of the Red Sea, with a sea area that includes productive areas for both demersal and pelagic fish in the Gulf of Tadjoura and the Gulf of Aden. However, because of the small coastline of around 314 km, the fishing industry in Djibouti is not developed enough and has limited potential.

In recent years, Djibouti has moved to bring its small fishing industry under management with new Fisheries Laws being introduced in 2002 to provide the basis for that management. Under these laws, fishing in Djibouti waters is restricted to artisanal fishing only and, as a result, there is no industrial sale fishing currently undertaken. However, illegal industrial fishing by vessels from Yemen and other countries is known to have occurred in the past and, with limited capacity to patrol its territorial waters, the threat of such illegal fishing remains a significant issue for Djibouti.

In 2001, the artisanal fisheries of Djibouti produced around 350 tonnes of fish, much of which is sold locally although there is some trade in dried sardines with neighboring countries of Somalia and Eritrea. These landings consisted mainly of demersal and pelagic fish species with reef fish such as grouper being particularly important, comprising around 20-25 percent of the total catch by weight. This traditional artisanal fishery consists of around 2000 people with some 300 of these being directly employed on the estimated 90 vessels that comprise the fishery. A further number of subsistence fishermen do not have access to boats but fish using spears etc. directly from the coastal reefs. Landings have apparently not changed significantly for some five to ten years although precise statistics are not available. Although management of the fisheries is governed by national legislation, this management involves significant input from local villages and communities and regional chiefs are allocated specific legislative powers over fisheries within the national fisheries law.

It is widely recognized that the fisheries of Djibouti are significantly underexploited and there is a Government objective to increase landings from the current 350 tonnes to around 5 000 tonnes by 2010^[234]. Djibouti has the potential for significant sustainable development with landings in the period 1996-2001 being around seven percent of the estimated MSY (Kunzel et al., 1996). However, Djibouti shares this development potential with its larger neighbours of Eritrea and Somalia, both of whom are also pursuing fisheries development plans, based, however, more on developing industrial fisheries. If Djibouti’s plans for its fisheries sector development are to be realized, it will not only need to manage the stocks in its own waters but will also need to enter into cooperative management arrangements with these, and other countries, to ensure that overall exploitation of shared stocks remains at sustainable levels. Without such cooperative arrangements, Djibouti’s small fisheries sector may, in the long term, be more impacted by events outside of Djibouti waters than management intervention from within.

POLICY FRAMEWORK

The national authority with responsibility for fisheries management in Djibouti is the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Élevage et de la Mer, Direction d’Élevage et des Pêches (DEP). The Ministry was provided with the authority to administer and manage fisheries through Law Number 23/AN/03/5ème of 2003 which also provided the required administrative structure for the Ministry.

The policy framework for fisheries management and development is set out in the basic Fisheries Law of 2002 (Law Number 187/AN/02/4ème, Le Code des Pêches) and in various decrees and Laws which, among other things, established a Technical Committee for Fisheries Development in 2002 (the Comité technique de suivi et de pilotage de l’Etude du Programme National de Développement de la Pêche) to oversee the further development of Djibouti’s fisheries sector. This Committee replaced the old Conseil national de la Mer and provides focus on the fisheries sector instead of more general maritime issues. In addition, there is an expertise-based Fisheries Consultative Council (the Conseil Consultatif de la Pêche) which provides advise to the Minister and the Director of Fisheries on fisheries issues. The Minister is required to seek the Council’s advise on all matters related to fisheries management.

Fisheries management in Djibouti also has the singular advantage that most new fishermen pass through a government training program. This provides a rare opportunity to instill in the fishermen an appreciation for conservation and stock management. This has built on the traditions of participatory management, including the importance of local communities in resource decision-making.

Although the powers under the basic Law are comprehensive, they are also general and enable the Director of Fisheries and the Minister to, among other things, limit seasons, impose catch limitations (based on scientific information), limit the number of fishermen and types of gear, prepare fisheries management plans etc. The more general objectives of fisheries management however, are stated as achieving long term sustainability of fisheries resources and their environments. Protection of the marine environment is part of the basic Fisheries Law.

Access to the fisheries resources of Djibouti are limited by the basic Fisheries Law to artisanal fishermen, who must be citizens of Djibouti. Licenses are required of all fishermen and boats and the fishermen are divided into three categories. Category A are fishermen using vessels more than nine metres in length, Category B are fishermen using boats of or less than nine metres and Category C are subsistence fishermen or those without vessels. Licensing and other requirements are slightly different for each group.

There are no research capabilities in Djibouti and therefore the scientific basis on which to base management and management plans comes from technical assistance programs. Enforcement functions are weak and, although administered by the Ministry, are undertaken in collaboration with other agencies such as the navy and the gendarmerie.

Funding for the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Élevage et de la Mer to undertake its responsibilities comes from annual funding allocations from the Government. Revenues from fishing activities come principally from fishing license fees, although these are small because of the small number of fishermen and the low license fees.

International fisheries issues are also the responsibility of the Ministry. Djibouti ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1991 but has not yet ratified the UN Fish Stocks Agreement or the FAO Compliance Agreement.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The basic fisheries law of Djibouti is contained within the 2002 Law Number 187/ AN/02/4ème, Le Code des Pêches. This Law contains the details of the principles upon which fisheries are managed and developed. The Law contains requirements for consultation with stakeholders (through the Conseil Consultatif de la Pêche) and for the preparation of fisheries management plans. However, because of the relative recent introduction of this legislation, no management plans are currently in place.

Djibouti has committed to developing its fisheries sector based on the artisanal fishery and has established a Technical Committee for National Fisheries Development (the Comité technique de suivi et de pilotage de l’Etude du Programme National de Développement de la Pêche) to advise on how the development targets of 5 000 tonnes per annum landings might be achieved.

Because the basic Fisheries Law is relatively new, it has not yet been reviewed or revised.

STATUS OF THE FISHERIES

The generally turbid conditions of Djibouti reefs are very similar to those prevailing in the southern Red Sea. On the south coast of Djibouti, close to the border with Somalia, there is significant upwelling of nutrient-rich water, resulting in an abundance of small and large pelagic species. However, reefs in this area are poorly developed and support fewer species and lower abundances of reef-associated fish than reefs further north.

There are no large-scale fisheries in Djibouti. Much of the fishing is carried out at the subsistence level, using hook and line and target demersal and reef species. To a lesser extent, gill and throwing nets are also used. Lobsters are of minor importance, and are collected by local divers. Landed catches consist almost entirely of large fish that fetch higher prices in the market. Fish are marketed fresh and there is no processing that can be considered of much relevance.

At present, fisheries play a limited role, although subsistence fisheries are locally important. There are about 90 artisanal fishing boats, of which 75 are small, open boats (six to eight metres) powered by outboard engines. Each boat operates with an average of three fishermen over one day trips. Some 15 of the boats are longer (10-14 metres) and equipped with inboard engines. These carry an average of five fishermen each and go out for four days. Most of the fisheries are at the subsistence level and fishing effort is generally low.

The introduction of the Program for the Development of Artisanal Fisheries, initiated in 1980, resulted in substantial growth of the fisheries sector. The program supplied fishing gear, outboard engines and boats. Ten years after completion of the program, the number of fishermen had increased significantly. However, the average age of the fishermen ranged from 40 to 55, and a rejuvenation of the crew became imperative for the continued development of this sector. A revitalization program is currently underway and is being supported by new legislation.

At current levels of landings of 350 tonnes per year, Djibouti’s fisheries are considered underutilized. The Direction d’Élevage et des Pêches (DEP) is currently implementing policies to recruit and train Djibouti citizens as fishermen to increase production towards a projected Maximum Sustainable Yield of 5 000 tonnes annually. While at the national level, fisheries resources are clearly underutilized, at the local level however, it may be over-utilized, especially in small restricted areas of high productivity. However, because of scarce financial and technical resources, comprehensive assessments of the main fish stocks are rare^[235], with most studies having been undertaken in the 1970s-1990s. There are no comprehensive data collection activities on landings and fishing capacity although such data is necessary for monitoring progress in the development of the fisheries sector^[236].

Small pelagic resources (mainly the sardine, Harengula punctata, and anchovy, Thrissocles baleana and Amentum heteroboloum, comprise the majority of the small pelagic landings in Djibouti, which are approximately 10-15 percent of total landings. Demersal resources are mainly reef fishes including grouper (Epinephelus spp.), barracuda (Sphyraena spp.) and snappers (Lutjanus spp.). In total, these three species groups comprise about 60 percent of total landings with the snappers and groupers dominating. Most potential is seen in the development of the small and large pelagic resources^[237], and groupers (Epinephelus spp.) while reef fishes are considered to have lesser potential, partly because of the need to protect sensitive coral reef areas from damage and overexploitation.

A summary of the characteristics of the artisanal fisheries in Djibouti in 2001 is shown in Table 1. There are no industrial fisheries and there are only small recreational fisheries and no data are available.

TABLE 1
Characteristics of the major fisheries of Djibouti

* Estimated Value in 2002 U.S. Dollars.

** This includes subsistence fishermen not using vessels, but fishing from reefs and the shore using gear such as throw nets.

n/a = not applicable.

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY

The basic fisheries law enumerates the types of management intervention that can be implemented, although not all of these are actually in place at the present time. The types of management measures that can be utilized are:

(a) closed season and closed areas;
(b) prohibited fishing method and gear and specification of gear that may be used;
(c) limitation of the amount of catch
(d) limiting the number of fishermen
(e) formulation of management plans

However, in practice, there are very few of these management measures that have actually been used and the fisheries are, to a great degree, unregulated. It is generally acknowledged that this lack of control on fishing will become a major problem in the future as the industry develops. However, the Ministry is aware of this and has recently developed new fisheries legislation (see above) to provide them with the powers to begin to implement management regulations.

Enforcement of the few regulations that have been put in place is generally ineffective. Spearfishing, though legally banned, is widely practiced. Artisanal fishermen are apparently not subject to any additional limitations, and their impacts in the future will likely multiply as their gear technology improves in catching efficiency. There is already a move away from traditional practices such as the substitution of natural fibers with monofilament line, and the use of modern spear guns in place of locally made wooden ones.

COSTS AND REVENUES OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

There is no data on the costs and revenues in Djibouti although it is believed, with the small and poorly developed fisheries sector, and with few regulations and limited enforcement, these costs are minimal and probably have not changed over the past five to ten years. Likewise, although there is a provision for the collection of fishing license fees, the small industry makes the revenues from this source negligible. Again, there has probably been little change in this situation over the past five to ten years.

IMPLEMENTATION OF GLOBAL FISHERIES MANDATES AND INITIATIVES

Djibouti ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1991 but has not yet ratified the UN Fish Stocks Agreement or the UN Compliance Agreement.

The implementation of the provisions of International Plans of Action related to managing fishing capacity, IUU fishing, shark management and seabird by-catch in longline fisheries has not been pursued. As a result, no national plans of action for any of these issues are incorporated into national legislation.

PARTICIPATION IN REGIONAL FISHERY BODIES

Djibouti participates in the Convention for the Protection of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), a UNEP initiative and is active in the activities of this convention. PERSGA, while environmentally-orientated (including the protection of the coral reefs of the area) also involves itself peripherally in fisheries matters. There is no regional fisheries commission and Djibouti’s national legislation does not require that regional fisheries issues are considered in making management decisions and in preparing management plans for their fish stocks.

Djibouti signed a fisheries cooperation agreement with its neighbour, Somalia in 1986 although there have been few tangible benefits to Djibouti from this agreement to date.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Djibouti’s fishing industry is currently small and has remained stagnant for the past five to ten years, with total landings around 350 tonnes per annum. These landings are apparently significantly less than sustainable landings, which have been estimated at around 5 000 tonnes per annum although robust stock assessments are lacking. However, based on this potential, Djibouti has committed to develop the fisheries sector in an attempt to increase landings to near this level. To support this development, Djibouti has recently introduced a number of new legislative measures, including a new basic fisheries law (2002), the formation of a technical committee to support a national program of fisheries development plan (2002) and new administrative powers for the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Élevage et de la Mer (2003).

Unlike neighbouring countries, however, Djibouti is committed to retaining its fisheries as artisanal in nature and have specifically legislated for this in the recent basic Fisheries Law of 2002. Djibouti has a history and tradition of stakeholder participation in management decisions (often through local and community forums) and of commitment to the artisanal nature of its fisheries and therefore, these development directions are in accordance with those traditions.

The greatest challenge that seems to face Djibouti is that, with a small coastline and territorial sea, and with many of its stocks (particularly pelagic species) being shared with neighbouring countries, Djibouti will need to engage other countries in joint management of many of these stocks. Djibouti’s plans for developing its fisheries is happening at the same time that its larger neighbours, particularly Eritrea, Yemen and Somalia are also intending to accelerate fisheries sector development. These other countries, however, are intending to develop industrial fisheries as well as artisanal fisheries (although Yemen has a stated preference for its artisanal sector) and such large scale fisheries may impact on the stocks that they share with Djibouti.

In the longer term, events in the region and outside of Djibouti’s territorial waters may have a greater influence on whether Djibouti can achieve its fisheries development goals than any management intervention within Djibouti.

REFERENCES

Allain, C. 1974. Mission d’information sur le développement de la pêche dans le territoire des Afars et des Issas. Institut Scientifique et Technique des Pêches Maritimes, France.

Bouhlel, M. 1988. Poissons de Djibouti. RDA International, Inc., Placerville, CA, USA

Kunzel, T., Darar, A., Vakily, J. 1996. Composition, biomasses et possibilités d’exploitation des ressources halieutiques Djiboutiennes. Tome 1. Analyse. Ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Hydraulique, Direction de l’Elevage et des Pêches, Djibouti. Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Deutschland.

APPENDIX TABLES

Current management of marine capture fisheries in Djibouti

Use of fishery management tools within the three largest fisheries in Djibouti

Costs and funding sources of fisheries management within the three largest fisheries

Compliance and enforcement within the three largest fisheries in Djibouti

Capacity management within the three largest fisheries in Djibouti