LocationsAs the EU-funded project nears its closure, this meeting gathered stakeholders to review and discuss key outcomes, lessons learned, and the final remaining project activities.
Empowering Artisanal Fishers in the Republic of Mauritius: Terminal Steering Committee of the Mauritius E€OFISH project
August 23, 2024
The terminal steering committee meeting was co-chaired by the Hon. Sudheer Maudhoo, Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping (left), Ms Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles (middle) , and H.E.Mr Oskar Benedikt, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and to the Republic of Seychelles.
UNDP Mauritius / Jean-Yan Norbert
The terminal steering committee meeting of the ‘Supporting the Economic Empowerment of the Artisanal Fishing Community of the Republic of Mauritius’ project was held in Port Louis on 22 August 2024. As the EU-funded project nears its closure, this meeting, co-chaired by the UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles; the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, aimed to review and discuss key outcomes, lessons learned, and the final remaining project activities.
Launched in the Republic of Mauritius in August 2021, the ‘Supporting the Economic Empowerment of the Artisanal Fishing Community of the Republic of Mauritius’ project, also known as the Mauritius E€OFISH project, is implemented locally by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, and the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. Since its inception, the project funded by the European Union has supported local artisanal fishers to improve their livelihoods by adopting the best sustainable fishing practices and helping them move to new fishing grounds away from the overexploited and climate-impacted lagoons by leveraging modern fishing technologies deployed under the project.
Ms. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, acknowledged the contribution of the European Union as a valued development partner, highlighting the significant strides made under the Mauritius E€OFISH Project towards the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals in the Republic of Mauritius. The UNDP Resident Representative also acknowledged the technical support provided by the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping and the Rodrigues Regional Assembly to ensure effective implementation and execution of key project activities.
H.E. Mr. Oskar Benedikt, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the EU to the Republic of Mauritius and Seychelles, emphasized the importance of supporting the artisanal fishing community and recognizing its significant contribution to the history, lifestyle, and food security in Mauritius. Highlighting the need for marine biodiversity conservation, H.E. Mr. Benedikt stated that the Mauritius E€OFISH project also serves to reiterate the commitment of the EU as a partner to the Republic of Mauritius for the sustainable management of natural resources benefiting the local population.
The Honorable Sudheer Maudhoo, Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, expressed gratitude to the UNDP and the EU for their contribution to the artisanal fishing sector and the blue economy through the E€OFISH project. The Minister stated that the project aligns with the national vision of upskilling artisanal fishers to ensure their full participation and recognition in the economic activities of the country.
Enhanced Fishing Capabilities and Sustainability: Key Outcomes of the Project
Over the past three years, the Mauritius E€OFISH project has significantly contributed to empowering artisanal fishers and conserving marine biodiversity within the lagoons of Mauritius and Rodrigues by addressing specific challenges and needs. To date, the project has successfully achieved most of its key objectives, focusing on three pillars of artisanal fishing: fish harvesting, post-harvest processing, and post-harvest infrastructure. The remaining targets, including the deployment of containerized solar-powered ice-making units to ensure fishers have access to ice for preserving the freshness of their catch, are expected to be reached by September 2024.
To enhance the harvesting capacity of artisanal fishers, modern single-buoy fish aggregating devices (FADs) equipped with biomass sensors were built and deployed around Mauritius and Rodrigues under the E€OFISH project. To facilitate the localization of these FADs, which attract higher concentrations of pelagic fish such as albacore tuna, the RodMoFad mobile application was developed and officially launched on 16 May 2024. This mobile application is accessible only to registered fishers using their registration numbers, preventing illegal fishing and ensuring that recreational fishers do not undermine the efforts of the artisanal fishing community. Additionally, longline fishing training sessions were conducted from 2023 to 2024 to further expand fishers' capacity to fish more efficiently on the high seas.
Training materials produced under the project, including booklets and tutorial videos on fish processing, were designed for fishers and distributed in Mauritius and Rodrigues to enhance post-harvest processing. A total of 111 fishers attended the three awareness campaigns held between 2021 and 2023, with the final campaign set to promote the project's key messages on sustainable fishing in Rodrigues during the last week of August.