Executive Summary

Somalia has an estimated population of 11 million. There are perhaps another 3.0 million Somalis dispersed around the world. Mineral resources are relatively diverse, but other than salt have not been exploited. Known deposits include petroleum, gas, copper, manganese, gypsum, iron, marble, salt, tin, rare earth minerals and actinides.

Fish stocks along the coast of Somalia are amongst the most productive in the world as a result of nutrient-rich water upwelling from the depths of the northern Indian Ocean . Whilst fishing has always been important to the coastal communities, the majority of Somalis eat very little fish as is to be expected amongst nomadic herdsmen, and consequently the fisheries resources had remained largely untapped until relatively recently.

The absence of any enforcement agency since the collapse of the central government has allowed unscrupulous international fishing companies to exploit Somalia's fisheries resources without regard to proper management and moreover without payment or compensation for the privilege. Somalia has a very long coastline of 1,880 miles (3,025 km) due to its position at the Horn of Africa with coasts bordering the Gulf of Aden to the north and the northern Indian Ocean to the south-east, of this approximately 2.7 miles (1,400 km) lies within Puntland. The continental shelf is generally narrow with the result that Somali fishermen have traditionally fished for tuna and other pelagic species from small boats operated from the shore. In addition to territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from the coast, Somalia has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles.

There are no reliable statistics for fish and shellfish catches or landings from Somali waters. Those few data that exist date from the 1980s and cannot be relied upon. However, the large number of unlicensed foreign fishing vessels operating along the Somali coast since 1991 provides adequate evidence of the enormous fisheries wealth in Somali waters. Given the absence of any effective enforcement operation, some fish and shellfish stocks may already be fully exploited or in some cases even over-exploited as a result of these illegal operations.

In addition to a coastguard and fisheries protection capability, Somalia urgently needs to establish proper fisheries data collection and stock assessment capabilities in order to manage its fisheries resources on an effective and sustainable basis. 

Background

Prior to 1991, Somalia 's chief exports had been livestock, meat, fish, fruit, frankincense, hides and leather. The primary trading partners had been Italy , Germany , Kenya , the United Kingdom , Saudi Arabia and United States of America . In the absence of financial institutions, resumption of trade after 1991 has been restricted. However, Puntland in particular has continued to export livestock to Yemen , Saudi Arabia , Oman and the United Arab Emirates through the northern coastal ports of Berbera and Bossaso, although this trade has been seriously affected by claims that the animals were carrying Rift Valley Fever.

During the 1980s, manufacturing industries in Somalia had started to develop. Fish canneries, cold stores for both fish and meat, a cement factory, cotton gins, and chemical and textile plants had been established. Other industries included oilseed and fruit processing plants, leather and shoe factories, and petroleum and sugar refineries. Most of these industries, however, closed in the early 1990s as a result of civil disorder and the inability to provide security, maintenance and spare parts.

The vacuum created by the overthrow of President Siyad Barre's military administration on the 26th of January 1991 has been devastating for Somalia . The widespread anarchy that followed led to the destruction of all government institutions and the progressive exodus of the overwhelming majority of the nation's civil servants who have joined the Somali diaspora scattered throughout Europe , the Middle East and North America . No other country, however severely ravaged by war, has suffered the total destruction of its institutions and civil service as has Somalia .

The collapse of the state education system provides another serious impediment to institution building. Even though some schools, colleges and even universities have been re-established, largely on an ad hoc basis, but also with support from UN agencies, there is a limited cadre of new school leavers and suitably-qualified graduates to provide the basis for a new civil service. It is almost as if a complete generation of experienced administrators has been lost from Somali society.

The fieldwork will be preceded by a mobilisation period, during which it is proposed to hold a one-day induction workshop for stakeholders (probably in Bossaso) in order to publicise the purpose and extent of the study, and to encourage co-operation and input from stakeholders including: those already involved in the catching, processing and exporting of fish, shellfish and fisheries products; NGOs already working in coastal communities; civil society groups; former civil servants, and graduates interested in working within the fisheries sector. The workshop will focus on the current status of the sector and the availability of human and other resources that can be mobilised and fulfil important rôles in the rebuilding of an efficient and prosperous fishing industry.

Upon completion of the fieldwork and data collection, it is proposed to hold a second workshop specifically for aid agencies and NGOs already working directly or indirectly with coastal communities, artisanal fishermen and those involved in the processing, handling and export of fish, shellfish and fisheries products. The purpose of the workshop will be to review the status of the sector following the completion of the fieldwork and data collection activities within Somalia and obtain specific input in respect of the activities, both on-going and proposed, of all relevant aid agencies and NGOs operating within Somalia . It is envisaged that the workshop will probably be held in Nairobi and will last for two days. This will allow the active participation of most of the international donors and NGOs involved in Somalia , most of whom are based in Nairobi . 

Normally the preparation of a Preliminary Development Plan would involve consulting all available data, technical reports and journals held by national institutions. However, due to the anarchy of the last 14½ years, not only have government institutions ceased to exist, but government records, libraries and sources of information have either been destroyed or scattered to the four winds.

Due to Dr Farmer's close association with Somalia for the last 18 years, he is in a unique position to prepare the Preliminary Development Plan . Furthermore his company's specialist library contains copies of many reports and other documents dealing with Somalia which no longer exist or are inaccessible within the country. This includes fundamental reference material such as The Fishery Law enacted by the Somali Republic in 1985, fisheries regulations, historical records of stock assessment surveys, fisheries production etc. For this reason it is proposed that a significant part of the preparation of the Preliminary Development Plan will be carried out at the offices of Anthony Farmer & Associates in the UK , where full logistic support will be available throughout the study and also in Kenya where the majority of the international donors and NGOs are based.

The Preliminary Development Plan will therefore represent a detailed road map for the Ministry of Fisheries, Ports, Marine Transport and Marine Resources and take an estimated six months to prepare. It will comprise at least the following components:

• A review and summary of the current status of the fisheries sector;
• Definition of where the fisheries sector needs to be in five years time and the establishment of realistic, achievable and measurable (verifiable) targets;
• Proposals for the initial minimum institutional requirements of the Ministry and fisheries sector;
• Identification of suitable administrative premises for the Ministry;
• Provision of minimum premises and administrative facilities (a small office) to allow the Ministry to start to function in the short term;
• Proposed organisation structure (organogram) for the Ministry;
• Minimum initial manpower requirements for the Ministry;
• Job descriptions for all key administrative positions for the Ministry;
• Proposed remuneration for ministerial personnel 2 ;
• Identification of qualified and experienced Somalis, where available;
• Interim operational procedures and regulations for the Ministry 3 ;
• Thorough review of existing fisheries legislation and proposed interim regulations (enabled under Article 16.2 of the Somali Fishery Law 1985) until such time that new and effective legislation can be drafted for approval by the Parliament of Puntland State of Somalia (or the Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic);
• Recommendations for the establishment and operation of an effective coastguard and fisheries protection service;
• Opportunities for retraining and assimilating members of militias;
• Interim procedures for arresting and handling fishing vessels and their crews operating illegally within Puntland's territorial waters and EEZ;
• Identification of urgent and essential activities within the sector;
• Prioritisation and costing of all urgent and essential activities;
• Integrated action plan for the implementation of all urgent and essential activities;
• Outline plans for secondary and tertiary activities;
• Preparation of an annual budget for the Ministry, including potential sources of income.