UK-based fisheries consultancy, MacAlister Elliott and Partners (MEP), is working to develop a long-term plan aimed at boosting economic growth for fisheries in Somalia and Somaliland.
MEP is working with federal and regional governments, and backed by public sector investment, to provide strategic research and advice on how best to develop fisheries in the Horn of Africa to help local communities in the unstable region.
MacAlister Elliott and Partners has a long association with Somalia and Somaliland and we are currently using our expertise to help develop a long-term development plan for fisheries in the region, said Stephen Akester, MEP.
Key areas of work include assessing fisheries with the potential for sustainable harvesting, the associated onshore support infrastructure required and identifying export markets for seafood products from Somalia and Somaliland.
MEP says tuna and other pelagic fisheries have the best potential for sustainable development because most demersal stocks in the region have been over-exploited by the long distance fleets of other nations.
It is ironic that the offshore international naval force that patrols the region’s waters to combat piracy has offered an umbrella of protection for fishing vessels from other nations to overfish a number of key stocks in the area. However, there is good potential for a viable and profitable indigenous fisheries sector, and if successful, this would make a significant contribution towards economic and social stability, Mr Akester added.
Mercator Media Ltd 2014