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Comoros

New technical assistance programme launched

in the Comoros

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na-
tions (FAO) started delivering a new technical assistance pro-
gramme (TCP/COI/3903) in the Union of the Comoros, which
will see FAO train stakeholders involved in the agricultural, en-
vironmental and fisheries sectors, strengthening institutional
capacities to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)
fishing.

The Ministry in charge of fisheries in the Comoros had re-
quested assistance from FAO to effectively implement the FAO
Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) and complemen-
tary international instruments, and conservation and manage- tion strategies and tools.
ment measures to combat IUU fishing.
This is not the first assistance provided by FAO to the Co-
Through this new programme, FAO aims to provide techni- moros. In August 2023, FAO organized a one-week workshop,
cal support to strengthen the institutional capacities of the Na- funded by the European Union, on the participatory assess-
tional Fisheries Control and Surveillance Centre (CNCSP), as ment of national capacities to systematically implement the
well as those of different stakeholders in the fisheries sector in necessary policy, legal and operational frameworks which re-
the Comoros. An annual plan has also been drawn up, amongst sulted in the drafting of a national strategy and a roadmap for
others to define the responsibilities, roles and implications of the implementation of international and regional instruments
stakeholders and to adopt effective and efficient implementa- involved in the fight against IUU fishing.

MCS review held in the Comoros

The Food and Agriculture Organiza- the participants.
tion of the United Nations (FAO) carried This mission to the Comoros was fund-
out a review of fisheries monitoring, con- ed as part of the FAO Technical Coopera-
trol and surveillance (MCS) capacities in tion Programme TCP/COI/3903, which
the Union of the Comoros. This mission, aims to strengthen the institutional and
which took place from 19 - 23 February operational capacities of the CNCSP and
2024, aimed to take stock of the provi- to contribute to the reduction of illegal,
sions in force and assess to what extent unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish-
they allow this archipelagic State of the ing and the improvement of maritime
Indian Ocean to fulfill its obligations as a security for sustainable management of
port, flag, coastal and market State.
maritime resources in the Comoros.
The mission, led by an FAO expert, in-
volved several agents from the Ministry The MCS review was carried out to in-
of Fisheries, the National Center for Fish- form an ongoing legal review and sup-
eries Control and Surveillance (CNCSP) port for better regulation to implement
as well as other administrations includ- tion framework; the fisheries monitor- international instruments to combat IUU
ing the Coast Guard and The Maritime ing centre; human resources; training fishing, including the provisions of the
Affairs National Agency (ANAM). Small programmes and capacity building; in- FAO Agreement on Port State Measures
scale fishery community and its facilities formation collection mechanisms; MCS (PSMA). The results also provide the
was also visited during this mission. country with indicators of elements of
capabilities and standard operating pro- the MCS that will require strengthening
The review focused on eight thematic cedures. This resulted in a list of recom- so that Comoros can better fulfill its re-
areas: a general description of the fish- mendations, grouped by thematic areas sponsibilities as a port, flag, coastal and
ing sector; the MCS and implementa- which were discussed and agreed with market State.

14 Arab Agriculture 2024