The African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) in partnership with the National Association of Artisanal Fisheries Operators of The Gambia (NAAFO) is organizing a two-day training workshop (September 17 and 18, 2021) for artisanal fisheries professionals. It is entitled: “Training on resource management: Case of small pelagic “.
The objective is to build capacity, skills and partnership between professional organizations and government to improve the co-management of fisheries resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
The workshop will bring together about 40 participants including representatives of professional fisheries organizations from The Gambia, Senegal, including ministries and departments of fisheries.
“During the workshop, presentations on the situation of the resource in The Gambia, voluntary guidelines to ensure Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication, and training modules on resource management, will be made,” according to the concept note of the meeting.
The training will provide a unique platform to promote improved knowledge in the management and conservation of fisheries resources (a brochure of 126 West African marine species will be made available to participants). This would lead to behavioural change for sustainable management of fisheries resources.
In terms of results, it is expected, among other things, to have: “better understanding and application of fisheries management tools, instruments and voluntary frameworks and associated concepts; presentation and understanding of the state of fisheries resources; more active participation of fishermen and professional organizations as key actors in relevant decision-making processes at all levels; recommendation of partnership between the National Association of Artisanal Fisheries Operators (NAAFO) and the National Interprofessional Council of Artisanal Fisheries in Senegal (CONIPAS) accepted and followed up; co-management is promoted; information is acquired and communication is improved; and the strengthening of partnership relations between the government and the actors is set up.
In addition, the training modules have great potential for replication and extension at regional and continental levels. It is expected that the training materials developed under this programme will be used for further training in other parts of Africa through the facilitation and coordination of CAOPA.
It is also planned to set up a joint commission between NAAFO and CONIPAS for better management of shared resources (small pelagic).
After this two-day workshop, CAOPA will support the celebration of World Clean-up Day (19 September) at Tanji fish landing site in The Gambia. The support materials include wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, gloves, T-shirts, etc.
Mamadou Aliou DIALLO
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