SA IORAG
South African Chapter of the Indian Ocean Rim Association Academic Group
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
Fisheries Management (wild-caught and aquaculture) is a critical priority area and development of fisheries value chains remains important for development in the Indian Ocean Region. The fisheries sector in the Indian Ocean provides food to hundreds of millions of people and is an important contributor to food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and income generation.
The SA IORAG includes experts from catch fisheries and aquaculture (marine and inland waters).
IORA-AFD REPORTS
IORA and the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency (AFD)) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 9 March 2020, for the AFD to provide technical assistance to IORA for the implementation and coordination of the IORA action plan activities on fisheries, aquaculture and the marine environment. The outcome of this was a series of technical reports and workshops to disseminate the information, as well as a series of training workshops.
COMPENDIUM OF STOCK ASSESSMENT TRAINING AND COURSES IN THE IORA REGION
Management of fisheries resources requires knowledge of the size of the resources and the extent to which they can sustain exploitation. Assessing these components is known as stock assessment, a process which generates scientific recommendations for managers and decision-makers. In response to expressed needs by Member States of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for stock assessment capacity building, a compendium of entities capable of providing stock assessment training at a variety of levels was produced, including synopses of their capabilities and contact details.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND GAP ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND MARKETS FOR FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS
A literature review and data gap analysis of information on international trade and markets for fisheries and aquaculture products in the IORA region was undertaken.
REVIEW OF AQUACULTURE, GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL-SCALE AQUACULTURE IN THE IORA REGION
At the time the report was undertaken, the then 22 Members States of IORA represented together 26.2 million tonnes of aquaculture production, representing 17% of the world volume production in 2018. From an analysis of past experiences, some key requirements for sustainable and viable projects were be observed. These are described and discussed in this report in the form of technical guidelines and prerequisites for aquaculture development.
ANALYSIS OF MEASURES TO COMBAT IUU FISHING IN THE IORA REGION
Illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing undermines the sustainable management and exploitation of the world’s fisheries resources. The impacts of IUU fishing are first environmental driving the depletion of fish stocks, and secondly social and economic, affecting those working in the fisheries sector, and communities depending primarily on these resources. This report assesses the performance of IORA member countries against selected and published indicator scores on IUU fishing, and provides an analysis of selected measures to combat IUU fishing that have been adopted by IORA members.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE STUDY – REVIEW OF FISH TRADE IN THE IORA REGION
The Indian Ocean Rim Association includes 23 countries around and in the Indian Ocean. Some of the largest fishing nations in the world are found in this region and some countries have advanced fish processing industries, while other countries have almost none. Shrimp and tuna are major commodities that are processed, either as frozen or canned products. Based on the analysis of trade and the challenges facing the countries of the region, it is proposed that steps be taken to secure adequate supplies of healthy seafood at affordable prices to enhance food security.
