BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, January 25, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Today, the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the representatives of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) marked the signature of a grant agreement of EUR 6 million. This is to prepare an Action Plan for the management and development of the fishery sector, and to strengthen fish and fish products contribution to food and nutrition security in the region of the Eastern and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean (ESA-IO). The Fishery sector, including aquaculture, constitutes a key economic sector and contributes significantly to economies of the ESA-IO countries. The region's potential in this development area is much higher than currently achieved.

"The Fishery sector contributes significantly to the economic development and the eradication of poverty in the countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region. The FAO has extensive experience in this sector in the region and, therefore, the EU has decided to sign a new strategic partnership with theFAO. With this grant agreement, the European Union aims at further supporting countries of the region towards the sustainable management and development of their fishery sector, including aquaculture", said Alessandro Mariani, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Mauritius, for the Seychelles and the Union of Comoros.

The grant agreement, which amounts to EUR 6 million and will be implemented over two years, has two main objectives. First, it aims at preparing an Action Plan for the management and development of the fishery sector, including aquaculture, for the 19 countries of the ESA-IO region. Second it intends to strengthen the contribution of fish and fish products to the region's food and nutrition security.

The fishery sector has a potential to contribute significantly, and on a long-term basis, to national wealth, economic growth and food security when appropriate management is in place to ensure the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fishery stocks. Moreover, it can provide a significant contribution to food security which represents a key concern in the region.

Key activities that will be supported under the grant agreement include:

• Enhancing fishery and aquaculture strategies as well as ensuring coherence between regional and national strategies

• Fostering the use and implementation of fishery management tools and approaches in line with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

• Improving knowledge and information, and strengthening of institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks in support of fishery management processes

• Supporting the establishment of a planned process for achieving national and regional food security

• Increasing resilience and diversification of livelihoods in fishing and fishing farming communities via small projects

The Action Plan for fishery management will address strategic priorities already identified by the relevant regional bodies of the region in marine waters - the Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and inland waters - the Committee for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture of Africa (CIFAA) and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO).

The ultimate beneficiaries will be fishing and aquaculture communities, and the population at large in terms of improved food security. The Agreement will be implemented by the FAO which is a natural partner of the EU with its wide experience in the fishery sector in Africa. Moreover, with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries which was developed through its mechanisms, FAO is a key actor for improved governance in the sector. The Agreement will be implemented in close coordination with other initiatives such as the Programme in Support of the Implementation of the FAO Strategy for Fishery and Aquaculture in Africa, projects of the Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention on the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, projects developed in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region as well as other EU programmes such as ACP Fish II, the Regional Plan of Surveillance for the Indian Ocean region financed by the EU, and the EU Fisheries Partnerships Agreements in order to avoid duplications and focus on areas where support is mostly needed.

The Agreement covers two components of the SmartFish programme (Programme in Support of the Implementation of a regional Fishery Strategy for the ESA-IO region), which is a first phase programme of EUR 21 million regional programme funded by the European Union. Implementation effectively started in June 2011 and will span over two years. Activities related to the other components of SmartFish, namely to enhance fishery governance, promote monitoring, control and surveillance to fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing as well as developing a regional trade strategy for the sector, are being undertaken by the Indian Ocean Commission Secretariat with support from technical assistance.