Mozambique

The cooperation between Norway and Mozambique regarding development of the fisheries sector dates back to 1977. The support has been given in many different forms, reflecting shifting priorities by the cooperating partners as well as shifting focus on fisheries matters in the global society in general.

From 1996 to 2004 the support was set within the framework of institutional cooperation between the National Directorate for Fisheries (DNP)/Ministry of Fisheries (MdP) and the Fisheries Research Institute (IIP) in Mozambique, and the Directorate of Fisheries (DoF) and the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Norway - aiming at developing the institutions responsible for fisheries management and research in Mozambique.

Important achievements from the long lasting cooperation and support are:

• Improved capacity in the Ministry of Fisheries (MdP), including training and education of scientific and technical staff, to develop regulations regarding marine fisheries, exports (quality control in line with EU requirements), inland fisheries and aquaculture.
• Better involvement of the private sector in management decision making (co-management) within the Ministry’s Committee of Fisheries Management (CAP).
• Improved capacity at the Institute of Fisheries Research (IIP) for data collection and handling, including the capacity to conduct assessment and provide advisory input for the most important fisheries.
• Introduction of a satellite based VMS (vessel monitoring system) as an important input towards developing an effective monitoring, control and surveillance system in Mozambique. However, both the Ministry and its subordinate entities (IIP, IDPPE, EP) are still in a phase where the need for institutional capacity building is vital.

Continued Support to the Development of the Fishery Sector in Mozambique is a prolonging of the Norwegian support to Mozambique. The programme is administrated by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and is a broad sector programme lasting for 3 years (2006-2008) and includes:

• Fisheries administration and management
  Activities in this area includes revision and update of the fisheries Master Plan within the context of a sector wide approach; design and monitoring of policy, programmes and projects; establishing the administrative setup for an MCS programme; developing the institutions at provincial/central level dealing with fisheries administration and management; and addressing international policy issues on fisheries. 
• Fisheries research and fish stock assessment
  Priority tasks within this area is to carry on with IIP’s main responsibility, namely to assess economically important marine resources, and to provide advice to the Ministry on their exploitation. Resources exploited in the artisanal fishery will be a prioritized area in the coming years and consequently the strengthening of IIP’s provincial bodies will be a priority task within the programme period. Through increased research effort, IIP will also contribute to the Government effort to promote higher production of fish as food through expanding aquaculture development. 
• Aquaculture development
  Aquaculture has not been a traditional activity for food supply in Mozambique, but is now a growing segment of Mozambican fisheries. One objective of the Master Plan is to improve the supply of fish to the domestic market, increase export earnings and create new jobs by the development of marine and freshwater aquaculture. Through the programme important activities will be implemented to strengthen the institutional infrastructure, and to create incentives particularly for private small-scale freshwater aquaculture and for seaweed production.
• Developing fisheries enterprises and improving the living conditions in fishing communities. 
• Establishing an Artisanal Fisheries Museum.