Our projects

The project concerns 4 fishing harbours (Beruwala, Galle, Puranawella, Kudawella) located in the south of Sri Lanka.

COFREPECHE is doing an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the potential rehabilitation of these 4 fishing harbours.

This assessment has three objectives:

•  Support the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MFARD) design a project which respects the environment and populations by jointly defining activities and measures which need to be implemented to improve the environmental and social (E&S) quality of the project, in line with the requirements for Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Department and obtain their validation;
• Inform AFD Group’s decision-making process by verifying the social and environmental viability of projects put forward for its financing and thus limit legal, financial and reputation risks;
• Allow stakeholders to be informed and participate in project design;

The environmental and social impact assessment, based on a description of the context, the baseline data of the site and the project’s impacts on the environment and populations, consequently puts forward mitigation measures which need to be implemented in order to prevent, minimize or, otherwise, compensate for the project’s negative effects on the environment and populations.

These measures and the conditions for their implementation are indicated and listed in an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).

The European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (EMFF) is a fund of the European Union (EU), it intervenes within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy and the Integrated Maritime Policy and aims to support the implementation of local strategies to stimulate growth in Europe. The priorities of the EMFF are to encourage:

• Sustainable, innovative and competitive fishing;
• Sustainable, innovative and competitive aquaculture;
• The implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy;
• Employment and strengthening territorial cohesion;
• Marketing and processing of fishery and aquaculture products;
• The implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy.

The goal of this project is to coordinate and animate the DLAL EMFF network (Local Development led by Local Actors) composed of the 7 French coastal regions and the 23 GALPA (Grouping of Local Actors “Fishing and Aquaculture”) established since 2018.

This project has four main tasks :

• Capitalize on good practices and support the GALPAs in setting up and carrying out projects;
• Support the Region as best as possible to implement the DLAL EMFF process by promoting the exchange of experiences between the various stakeholders in the program;
• Promote and disseminate the work carried out within the Regions;
• Prepare the next EMFF programming.

The IORA Secretariat has identified the following six priority pillars in the blue economy as were recommended by the Council of Ministers’ Meeting (COMM) and revised by the Secretariat in consultation with Member States: 1) Fisheries and Aquaculture; 2)Renewable Ocean Energy; 3) Seaports and Shipping; 4) Offshore Hydrocarbons and Seabed Minerals; 5) Marine Biotechnology, Research and Development and 6) Tourism. The Technical Assistance would have a strong focus on fisheries and aquaculture pillar of the action plan, or activities under other pillars linked to protection of marine ecosystems.

The overall objective of the Technical Assistance (TA) is to “support IORA and its Member States* in the coordination and implementation of the Action Plan on Blue Economy, with a strong focus on fisheries, aquaculture and protection of marine environment.”

The specific objectives of this project are the following:

• To combat IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in IORA region;
• To promote sustainable fisheries management;
• To promote sustainable aquaculture development;
• To promote and implement open market access to fish trade, including aquaculture;
• To standardize Blue Carbon assessment methods in the Indian Ocean;
• To protect and conserve coastal and marine biodiversity through sustainable coastal and marine tourism;
• To assess the needs, capacities and capabilities of Member States in respect of the Blue Economy.

These objectives will be achieved through the implementation of various activities over 3 years with the support of long-term and short-term technical assistance based within the AFD premises in Mauritius and covering the 22 country members of the IORA

*Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Maurice, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

The purpose of this project is to establish a diagnosis of the national control system for food products consumed at the national level and food products from the fisheries, beekeeping, fruit, vegetable and horticultural sectors (for production, import and export reproductive material in particular) and make the necessary recommendations for its upgrading to internationally recognized standards. The specific objectives are:·

• Analyze in detail the legislative and regulatory framework adopted at the national level;·
• Conduct an institutional audit on the competent authority (or the competent authorities if they vary according to the sectors and types of food or processed products) and of its mandate (s);·       Conduct an institutional audit and a technical evaluation of the quality control and health analysis laboratories present in Guinea-Bissau;·
• Evaluate the needs and obstacles to building a capacity for local analysis, and its recognition through accreditation;·
• Audit the procedures for approving establishments, product control and its certifications, with regard to the national, subregional (ECOWAS) legislative and regulatory framework and that of the European Union;·
• Make recommendations for adaptation, improvement, remediation and rationalization (taking into account the national scale and that of ECOWAS) appearing necessary to make the food control system in Guinea-Bissau efficient and effective and allow recognition by the EU;
• Make recommendations concerning quality control and health inspection laboratories, facilities, operation, equipment, staff assignments and their training, allowing consideration of their accreditation.

The relocation of the industrial fishing port carried out within the framework of the PAPN (Autonomous Port of Pointe Noire) investment plan must be accompanied by measures allowing the Congo to regain a sustainable mode of exploitation of the fishery resources, which is the main objective of this project. More specifically, the project aims, in parallel with the construction of a new industrial fishing port within the PAPN, to strengthen the capacities of the marine fisheries administration to:

•  improve the management of the future industrial fishing port;
• provide artisanal fishing concentrated on the Songolo site with the means for its integration into the national economy;
• ensure in an effective and efficient manner the basic functions in terms of monitoring, control and surveillance of the national fleet;
• monitor the development of fisheries through the collection and analysis of scientific data to monitor the state of the fisheries and ensure their sustainability.

The project revolves around 5 components:

• Component 1: Support artisanal fisheries
• Component 2: Operationalization of port management
• Component 3: Capacity building in the area of Monitoring-Control-Surveillance
• Component 4: Implementation of  necessary tools for sustainable management of the resource
• Component 5: Project management and coordination.

The purpose of this technical assistance is to support the marine fisheries administration so that it effectively and efficiently performs the basic functions in terms of monitoring-control-surveillance of the national fleet in order to contribute to the sustainability of the sector and the conservation of Congo’s fishery resources.

Its objective is to support the contracting authority in the management, coordination and implementation of the project to improve the conditions of marine fishing activities and the sustainability of its management.

The objective of this study is:

• To study the prospects and the opportunities of the creation of an industrial and / or semi-industrial fishing port on the economic, and political plan by integrating the other related activities (tourism, transport…) in the Union of the Comoros;
• Study and identify the conditions necessary for the creation of an environment favorable to the establishment of an industrial and / or semi-industrial fishing port structure;
• Study and take into account aspects related to the future development of the potential of the blue economy at regional and national level, in particular:
  • Tourism
  • Transport
  • Energy
  • Maritime security
• The development of the blue economy in the Comoros will also take into account gender equality (an aspect very much supported by the new constitution of the Union of the Comoros), food security, poverty reduction, preservation of resources and job creation;
• To study the economic and social feasibility of the construction and operation in the Union of the Comoros, of a port complex dedicated mainly to industrial and / or semi-industrial fishing in the current context.
• Provide indicative information on the architecture and estimated costs of the possible options.

This study takes place around 4 tasks: study of perspectives and opportunities; Identification of conditions and prerequisites for the construction of a port infrastructure; organizational structure and management; economic outlook assessment.

The main objective of this study was to produce project documents to strengthen existing marine protected areas (MPAs) (focusing mainly on community-based MPAs) and define priorities in terms of protective measures for all vulnerable mangrove areas towards the creation of MPAs for the long-term sustainability of goods and services they provide. The activities were aimed at:

• Propose strengthening measures of MEDD actions at central and local level to sustain existing MPAs especially in terms of regulation, operation and governance framework of the MPA, legal and tax aspects, scientific monitoring from the reference status to the valuation of acquired outputs, MEDD communication;
• Define the needs and means of strengthening communities in their involvement in MPA management: support for the implementation of the means of governance of MPAs, management training;
• Define an investment program in terms of support for the operation of MPAs, focused on the sustainability of existing structures: means of surveillance, security or promotion of tourism and economic development;
• Inventory mangrove restoration activities in Senegal noting the achievements and constraints;
• Develop a methodological guide of good practices for restoration and conservation of mangroves in Senegal from lessons learned of previous experiences;
• Identify community initiatives of mangrove management to be set up as community MPA, proposing a roadmap for the implementation of the methodological guide;
• Identifying map data on mangrove areas in Senegal;
• Study the technical feasibility (ecological environmental and legal relevance) and social acceptability of an MPA creation program around the conservation and restoration sites of mangroves in defining the appropriate governance and management options: establish baseline, provide an organisational and management system (governance), identify areas of interest for strengthening the network of MPAs, suggest an appropriate institutional anchor model, identify opportunities for cooperation for the management of new MPAs, analyse the needs in equipment and infrastructure;
• Propose accompanying measures necessary in terms of capacity building, communication, forest benefits, job creation;
• Estimate the cost of their implementation and define a financing plan;
• Develop manual of ecological monitoring of MPAs;
• Propose a time and a timeline for implementation of the activities selected.

This specific contract (No. 17) is part of the framework contract MARE / 2011/01 Lot 3 – retrospective and prospective evaluations of the international dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The objective of this specific contract is to provide to the European Commission represented by its Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), an evaluation of the current multi-species protocol to the fisheries partnership agreement (FPA) between the EU and Guinea-Bissau by evaluating its performance based on salient criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, economy, relevance, consistency, value added and acceptability. This assessment provided also to the Commission with data and technical analysis of the context for the preparation of a possible negotiation of a new protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between the EU and Guinea-Bissau. The Commission considers this assessment as a tool to improve the quality and coherence of the policy development process.

The evaluation report is available on the website of DG MARE. The report is in French with summaries in French, English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Services provided by the Consortium: analysis of the fishing industry in Guinea-Bissau (importance of the fisheries sector in the national economy, volume and quality of aid to the sector provided by technical and financial partners, analysis of catches, landings and the downstream sector (processing and trade) – including the value of the products in the supply chain, review of the strengths and weaknesses of fisheries governance and legislation, analysis of fishing access arrangements, ex post evaluation of the protocol to the EU FPA (including its economic effects on the EU and third country stakeholders), ex ante evaluation of a possible conclusion of a future Protocol to the FPA.

The technical Advisor in Fisheries and Aquaculture is undertaking activities in the following eleven task areas:

• Support AU-IBAR in identifying and implementing innovative options/approaches for fisheries management and aquaculture development;
• Advise AU-IBAR fisheries and aquaculture programmes on synergizing implementation and activities and development of complementarities with similar initiatives at regional and continent levels;
• Provide technical advice to foster institutional capacity building of African Union member states (AU MS) and Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs) for sustainable fisheries management, including support to effective combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, implementation of scientific-based fisheries management practices, aquaculture development, capacity development for expanded market opportunities at regional and international levels;
• Bring into fisheries and aquaculture project management and implementation framework by AU-IBAR international perspective for appropriate reform of African fisheries and aquaculture through articulation of international best practices for effective delivery of AU-IBAR fisheries programmes objectives;
• Advise on capacity building for strengthening the effective participation of AU MS in international fisheries and aquaculture and related forums for increased benefits from fish resource endowments on sustainable basis;
• Provide technical inputs towards jumpstarting sustainable commercial aquaculture development on the continent and enhancing effective stakeholders participation in fisheries and aquaculture;
• Support project identification and development in fisheries and aquaculture by AU-IBAR and provide technical support for implementation of fisheries and aquaculture projects and programmes, especially those funded by the EU;
• Provide technical support to AU-IBAR to develop sound knowledge management and communication skills for dissemination of projects and programmes results, formulation of lessons and best practices from project/programme activities as well as appropriate communication strategy with stakeholders, including AU MS, RECs, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), RFBs, in particular for EU fisheries and aquaculture funded projects;
• Help AU-IBAR to identify emerging unforeseen technical issues during project implementation and develop amendment proposals for appropriate corrective measures;
• Assist in formulating and implementing effective communication and visibility strategy for the project and other EU funded projects and behavioural change;
• Assist in formulating and implementing novel knowledge management strategies for Advocacy, Lessons Learning for knowledge sharing.

The evaluation was carried out within the Framework contract No MARE/2011/01 ‘Evaluation and impact assessment activities for DG MARE – Lot 3: Retrospective and prospective evaluations on the international dimension of the common fisheries policy (CFP)’ as specific contract No 10. The Commission sees this evaluation as a tool for improving the quality and coherence of the policy development process. Independent evaluations of protocols to Fisheries Partnership Agreements (FPA) between the EU and third countries constitute a legal requirement for the EU.

This evaluation assessed the performance of the two years (2013 – 2015) Protocol to the FPA between the EU and Gabon based on a range of salient criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and acceptability and economic effects. This evaluation contributes by delivering clear conclusions and recommendations to prepare the Commission whether to negotiate a new protocol based on the European Commission ex ante guide 2001.

The evaluation report will be available to the public on the DG MARE’s website.