Launch of the National Project for the Sustainable Management of Sardinella Fisheries in Guinea-Bissau
11 November 2024, Bissau – The EAF-Nansen Programme, in partnership with the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Oceanography (INIPO), has officially launched a national project to promote sustainable management of sardinella fisheries in Guinea-Bissau.
A workshop to launch the project, held at the Dunia Hotel in Bissau, brought together some thirty participants from government institutions, fisheries sector organizations and civil society. This event marks a major step towards strengthening the food and nutrition security of local communities, and promoting aquatic food systems based on effective fisheries management that restore resources and ecosystems to a healthy and productive state.
Titled "Support to the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach for Fisheries management targeting shared sardinella stocks in North-West Africa", this project aims to integrate the biological, ecological and human dimensions of marine ecosystems into the management of fisheries resources.
The project is dedicated to strengthening the institutional and individual capacities needed to implement the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF). By preserving sardinella stocks, which are essential to food security, it will also help improve the livelihoods of coastal communities dependent on these resources.
The project is part of a regional initiative supported by the EAF-Nansen Programme that also supports the sustainable management of these fisheries in Mauritania, Senegal and the Gambia. The EAF-Nansen Programme facilitates regional dialogue, enabling the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) and its member countries to collaborate on developing a regional management framework. By aligning with the recommendations of the Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries Committee (CECAF), the initiative aims to implement effective management measures to restore the currently overfished sardinella stocks.
Participants unanimously welcomed the initiative, highlighting its critical role in preserving marine ecosystems while strengthening the foundations for sustainable fisheries management.
Mario Reis, Programme Assistant to the FAO Representative in Guinea-Bissau, who spoke at the event, underscored the project’s alignment with the programme framework established between FAO and the Government of Guinea Bissau. Adding to this,
Kyriakos Kourkouliotis, Project Analyst-Operations Officer of the EAF-Nansen Programme, stressed the scientific and technical value of the partnership between FAO and Guinea-Bissau, which is instrumental in advancing sustainable fisheries.
Iça Barri, Director General of INIPO, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, underlined its strategic significance for the sustainable management of sardinella fisheries in Guinea-Bissau.
Ultimatley, this effort is seen as a major opportunity to consolidate marine conservation and food security efforts while strengthening regional collaboration for the sustainable management of shared fish stocks.
About the Programme
The EAF-Nansen programme is a long-standing partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Norway, executed in close collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (IMR). It is also one of the "Actions of the Decade" approved under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).