Page 62 - 41st Summit Brochure

DIRECTORATE OF FOOD mitigate against negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL on the SADC Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector”,
which were approved by Ministers responsible for Food
RESOURCES
Security and Agriculture, and Fisheries and Aquaculture at
their Joint Virtual Meeting held in May 2020. The measures
MANAGEMENT OF were packaged into a policy brief for ease of dissemination.
NATURAL RESOURCES These measures included those to protect the most
vulnerable people through social protection programmes in
targeted fisher communities; supporting small and informal
In an effort to strengthen national and regional linkages businesses through the fish value-chains with grants/payroll
towards achieving regional integration objectives, the SADC and unemployment assistance; providing rapid COVID-19
Secretariat in partnership with GIZ piloted a project on testing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and
“Aligning Regional and National Aquaculture Strategic improving hygiene and sanitation, encouraging social
Frameworks in SADC”. distancing at farming, fishing, processing, distribution and
The project was implemented through the programme marketing establishments; and providing all players
on “Strengthening of the National-Regional Linkages (SNRL) throughout the food value-chains with current information
in SADC” -- a partnership programme between SADC, the related to COVID-19.
EU and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, The measures also promote the adoption of nutrition-
as part of the regional process to domesticate, monitor and sensitive production policies and interventions, considering
assess the implementation of the Protocol on Fisheries in that food and nutritional wellbeing transcend material,
SADC Member States. relational, and subjective wellbeing. Hence there is a need
The objective of the project was to ensure alignment to re-look at the national and regional food baskets, and
between regional and national levels within the context of promote production and consumption of nutritious foods,
sustainable aquaculture development in three pilot countries such as fish.
-- Botswana, Malawi and Namibia. This successful pilot project The Secretariat developed a SADC Regional Fisheries
60 resulted in the development of aligned strategies, as well as Monitoring Control and Surveillance Strategy to support the

many other interventions and support to national processes, work of the Regional Fisheries Monitoring Control and
aimed at strengthening implementation of the protocol in the Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC), which is being
respective countries. The pilot project has put the three operationalised in Mozambique. The overall goal of the
countries on a path to developing sustainable aquaculture strategy is to strengthen compliance and enforcement
value-chains, as presented in the aligned National Aquaculture throughout the regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance
Strategies. (MCS) framework so that fisheries in the region are sustainably
The project produced policy briefs and communication managed, and the reduction of Illegal, Unreported and
products such as success stories and factsheets, which were Unregulated (IUU) fishing is achieved in all SADC countries
distributed to the respective countries’ ministries through enhanced MCS programmes.
responsible for fisheries and aquaculture. The Interim Project Management Unit continued to
These advocacy and communication products aid in operationalize the MCSCC through coordination of online
raising awareness to different target groups including policy training sessions and workshops on Fisheries Trade
makers, fishermen and women, media, and the Monitoring and Compliance, Identification of Marine Species
broader women and youth demography on the and Vessels and Gear used in Illegal Fishing, Law for Fisheries
benefits of aquaculture and how SADC can Control Officials, Inspectors and other Enforcement Officials,
continue the national processes in supporting and Basecamp, which were conducted between August 2020
fisheries and aquaculture development for the and February 2021.
benefit of all citizens. The objectives were to empower Member States with
Through the policy briefs, lessons learned on skills to effectively combat IUU, and to use an information
alignment through the project were shared with sharing platform for monitoring, control and surveillance.
the participating Member States, highlighting So far, a total of 121 MCS, law enforcement officers and
success factors for alignment. The lessons are also customs officials were trained through these four
valuable for replication in other SADC Member programmes with support from FishFORCE Academy and
States. Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF).
The Secretariat developed “Measures to The SADC Secretariat is the current chair of the