Fisheries development and management

The project will (1) improve the DGF"s planning, programming, and budgeting system (PPB); (2) train public sector personnel; and (3) strengthen DGF"s fishery management to ensure sustainability of resources, catches, and profits. The project will upgrade the DGF"s PPB system by: (1) helping the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), within which the DGF operates, to update and monitor the progress of its Fisheries Sector Plan; (2) helping the DGF prepare detailed annual program and budgeting plans; (3) helping the MAF transfer increased responsibilities to DGF regional offices and centers; and (4) assessing and making recommendations for improving DGF"s financial, accounting, management, and personnel systems. The project"s major output will be the training of public sector fishery personnel. To this end, the project will prepare a detailed training plan for the MAF and an indicative training plan for other public sector institutions such as Sultan Qaboos University. Training targets are ca. 30 academic (Ph.D., M.S., and B.S.), 50 shorter-term programs, and on the job training of vessel observers, quality control officers, statisticians, scientists, a personnel planner, and a training officer. The largest share of project TA will be allocated to upgrading DGF fishery management. Principal activities will be to: (1) strengthen the DGF"s statistical system to provide reliable data on catches, fishing effort, and other indicators for commercially exploited fish; (2) conduct biological studies of the life history and behavior of important species; (3) complete preliminary stock assessments for all commercially exploited fish; (4) prepare management plans for heavily exploited fishery resources; and (5) strengthen the DGF"s decisionmaking process, and open it up to participation by the private sector, especially small-scale fishermen.