Review of the Norwegian Assistance to the Fishery Sector in Angola

The Project

Norway has since the eighties supported the development of the Angolan fisheries sector, first as part of the Nansen program, later through a regional interaction and training program and direct bilateral support. The recent assistance has been a Fishery Sector Development project for 2005-2007 aiming at capacity development with 9 million NOK in Norad funding. This report is a mid-term review of the recent assistance assigned by the Swedish Board of Fisheries. The purpose has been to assess progress, achievements and impacts.

Interesting Findings

• In the national plan for Angola, the fishery sector is playing an important part for the development of the coastal rural areas, in particular for food security, poverty reduction and employment.
• The sector will develop without any external support based on Angolan funding.
• Obtaining the desired national objectives will, however, require improved capacity and competence in a number of specific areas as Angola has developed mainly basic capacity for fishery management.
• The Norwegian and Angolan cooperation has gone through various stages with support especially to developing research capacity.
• The cooperation has focused on scattered biological and technical issues. There is a need to broaden the perspective and include broader management issues, including economic, social and environmental perspectives.
• Both countries would benefit from continued cooperation. An important result of the cooperation so far is trust and mutual understanding.
• There is now a clear Angolan ownership of the process and development. Foreign fishing agreements allowing fishing in Angolan waters are no longer applied. Joint ventures are welcome which also opens up for commercial cooperation.
• The rapid expansion of the Angolan economy may explain frequent reports on corruption in general. As the fishery support is provided through a consultancy service to the Ministry of Fisheries there is room for corruption also in this sector, but the funds used are reported in an acceptable transparent way.
• The personnel in the Ministry of fishery seems to be fairly equal according to gender with a fairly balance also in key positions. But gender perspectives would be more relevant to apply within the sector itself.
• HIV/Aids seems not to be an issue on the agenda with little knowledge of the situation.

Se nyhetssak om gjennomgangen