Research Report
Open access
Somalia Fisheries: Untapped Potential Held Back by Skills Shortage
Abstract
This report presents the findings of a study conducted in the federal member states of Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West and Jubaland as well as the Banadir region. It is part of a wider research project
on the state of human capital development in Somalia, with a special emphasis on the important sectors of agriculture, education, fisheries, health, labor and livestock. The project, funded by the Somalia Stability Fund (SSF), was implemented by a consortium comprising the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS)
and City University of Mogadishu. The overall objective was to develop an inclusive, indigenous and
sustainable human capital development strategy for Somalia based on the outcomes of detailed assessments
of relevant sectoral components. This strategy is intended to serve as a guide for Somali authorities and their development partners when drafting national human resources development plans for the individual sectors.
This study assesses the current status of the fisheries sector. It looks at: existing skills development initiatives and their relevance to the needs of the sector; local institutions of higher learning and the quality of their fisheries-related academic programs; other providers of training relevant to fisheries; the job readiness of local graduates; and challenges affecting human capital development in this sector. The study employed a combination of techniques to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), observations, and self-administered questionnaires. The study conducted a total of 16 KIIs and 14 FGDs involving 107 individuals selected to represent a wide range of stakeholders in the fisheries sector and academia.
The key findings of the study are as follows:
• While the fisheries sector is underdeveloped at present, it nevertheless supports over 400,000 Somalis who depend upon it for their livelihoods, income and employment.
• The contribution of the sector to the national economy is tiny (around two percent of gross domestic product), but it has the potential to be one of the largest and most profitable fisheries in the world if fully developed.
• Domestic fish production is exclusively based on the artisanal fisheries subsector since industrial catches are not landed in Somalia.
• The industrial subsector is dominated by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs the country hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost revenue.
• Within the artisanal fisheries subsector, there are three major fisheries (lobster, shark and finfish) of which the finfish fishery is the largest in terms of production, employment opportunities and revenue generation.
• Challenges facing the sector include: poor infrastructure; inadequate cold chain facilities and onshore support services; limited access to international markets; lack of reliable data and nationwide data collection system; IUU fishing and unsustainable exploitation of resources; lack of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) capability; the absence of sector-oriented policies and strategies; weak institutional and legal frameworks; acute shortage of skilled manpower; and limited investment.
The most serious challenge is the shortage of a skilled workforce as this affects both the fishing industry and the institutions tasked with the management, development and conservation of fisheries resources.
• A sector-wide skills shortage of over 70 percent currently exists, and the most in-demand jobs are those that require technical qualifications or extensive hands-on industry experience.
• Several factors are responsible for the skills shortage, including the abrupt cessation and belated reintroduction of maritime and fisheries education; an exodus of fisheries professionals from the country at the height of the civil war; a graduate skills mismatch; and the absence of government-funded and sector-oriented technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs, colleges and universities.
• A total of six institutions of higher learning, comprising five universities and one diploma-awarding technical institute, currently provide maritime and fisheries education in the study area.
• These six institutions offer a total of 12 fisheries-related academic programs, consisting of 11 undergraduate courses and one postgraduate diploma course.
• A total of 352 students are currently enrolled in the 12 academic programs, comprising 333 males
and 19 females. A further 119 students have graduated from local institutions, with a similarly skewed gender ratio.
• Analysis of student enrollment by course reveals that 239 (out of 352) students are enrolled in four undergraduate courses in marine and fisheries sciences, making these courses the most popular field of study. A further 86 students are pursuing a degree in fisheries science either as a standalone course or in combination with nautical science or marine environment. The rest of the students (27) are enrolled in the undergraduate courses of maritime law and marine navigation and mechanics.
• There is a high unemployment rate among maritime and fisheries graduates, with only nine percent
of alumni having secured jobs in their field of study. Managers of fishing companies and government officials interviewed for this study attributed graduate unemployment to a mismatch between the kind of training the graduates received at their alma maters and the current skills needs of the fisheries sector.
• The study revealed several infrastructural, technical and financial challenges facing the six institutions that negatively affect the quality of their academic programs and the job readiness of graduating students. These include: inadequate teaching and learning facilities; limited number of qualified teaching staff; limited fields of study and courses not tailored to market needs; lack of financial resources; limited research and publishing capacity; lack of standards and quality assurance systems; and graduate unemployment
• Analysis of employees of the ministries of fisheries and marine resources at the federal and state level shows an acute shortage of maritime and fisheries professionals, with only 19 out of 274 staff holding qualifications related to fisheries.
Based on its findings, the study proposes a five-point strategy (with various interventions) to develop the current and future skills needs of the fisheries sector:
1. Improve FGS and FMS laws, regulations and policies to optimize fisheries management for economic growth and employment creation
2. Promote, support and facilitate private investment in the fisheries sector
3. Address skills shortages and gaps in the fisheries sector through improved quality of education and training
4. Create a maritime and fisheries graduate employment initiative as a means of enhancing employability and job prospects post-graduation
5.. Establish, consolidate and improve the capacity of fishing cooperatives to co-manage all coastal fish stocks and other marine resources.
on the state of human capital development in Somalia, with a special emphasis on the important sectors of agriculture, education, fisheries, health, labor and livestock. The project, funded by the Somalia Stability Fund (SSF), was implemented by a consortium comprising the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS)
and City University of Mogadishu. The overall objective was to develop an inclusive, indigenous and
sustainable human capital development strategy for Somalia based on the outcomes of detailed assessments
of relevant sectoral components. This strategy is intended to serve as a guide for Somali authorities and their development partners when drafting national human resources development plans for the individual sectors.
This study assesses the current status of the fisheries sector. It looks at: existing skills development initiatives and their relevance to the needs of the sector; local institutions of higher learning and the quality of their fisheries-related academic programs; other providers of training relevant to fisheries; the job readiness of local graduates; and challenges affecting human capital development in this sector. The study employed a combination of techniques to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), observations, and self-administered questionnaires. The study conducted a total of 16 KIIs and 14 FGDs involving 107 individuals selected to represent a wide range of stakeholders in the fisheries sector and academia.
The key findings of the study are as follows:
• While the fisheries sector is underdeveloped at present, it nevertheless supports over 400,000 Somalis who depend upon it for their livelihoods, income and employment.
• The contribution of the sector to the national economy is tiny (around two percent of gross domestic product), but it has the potential to be one of the largest and most profitable fisheries in the world if fully developed.
• Domestic fish production is exclusively based on the artisanal fisheries subsector since industrial catches are not landed in Somalia.
• The industrial subsector is dominated by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs the country hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost revenue.
• Within the artisanal fisheries subsector, there are three major fisheries (lobster, shark and finfish) of which the finfish fishery is the largest in terms of production, employment opportunities and revenue generation.
• Challenges facing the sector include: poor infrastructure; inadequate cold chain facilities and onshore support services; limited access to international markets; lack of reliable data and nationwide data collection system; IUU fishing and unsustainable exploitation of resources; lack of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) capability; the absence of sector-oriented policies and strategies; weak institutional and legal frameworks; acute shortage of skilled manpower; and limited investment.
The most serious challenge is the shortage of a skilled workforce as this affects both the fishing industry and the institutions tasked with the management, development and conservation of fisheries resources.
• A sector-wide skills shortage of over 70 percent currently exists, and the most in-demand jobs are those that require technical qualifications or extensive hands-on industry experience.
• Several factors are responsible for the skills shortage, including the abrupt cessation and belated reintroduction of maritime and fisheries education; an exodus of fisheries professionals from the country at the height of the civil war; a graduate skills mismatch; and the absence of government-funded and sector-oriented technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs, colleges and universities.
• A total of six institutions of higher learning, comprising five universities and one diploma-awarding technical institute, currently provide maritime and fisheries education in the study area.
• These six institutions offer a total of 12 fisheries-related academic programs, consisting of 11 undergraduate courses and one postgraduate diploma course.
• A total of 352 students are currently enrolled in the 12 academic programs, comprising 333 males
and 19 females. A further 119 students have graduated from local institutions, with a similarly skewed gender ratio.
• Analysis of student enrollment by course reveals that 239 (out of 352) students are enrolled in four undergraduate courses in marine and fisheries sciences, making these courses the most popular field of study. A further 86 students are pursuing a degree in fisheries science either as a standalone course or in combination with nautical science or marine environment. The rest of the students (27) are enrolled in the undergraduate courses of maritime law and marine navigation and mechanics.
• There is a high unemployment rate among maritime and fisheries graduates, with only nine percent
of alumni having secured jobs in their field of study. Managers of fishing companies and government officials interviewed for this study attributed graduate unemployment to a mismatch between the kind of training the graduates received at their alma maters and the current skills needs of the fisheries sector.
• The study revealed several infrastructural, technical and financial challenges facing the six institutions that negatively affect the quality of their academic programs and the job readiness of graduating students. These include: inadequate teaching and learning facilities; limited number of qualified teaching staff; limited fields of study and courses not tailored to market needs; lack of financial resources; limited research and publishing capacity; lack of standards and quality assurance systems; and graduate unemployment
• Analysis of employees of the ministries of fisheries and marine resources at the federal and state level shows an acute shortage of maritime and fisheries professionals, with only 19 out of 274 staff holding qualifications related to fisheries.
Based on its findings, the study proposes a five-point strategy (with various interventions) to develop the current and future skills needs of the fisheries sector:
1. Improve FGS and FMS laws, regulations and policies to optimize fisheries management for economic growth and employment creation
2. Promote, support and facilitate private investment in the fisheries sector
3. Address skills shortages and gaps in the fisheries sector through improved quality of education and training
4. Create a maritime and fisheries graduate employment initiative as a means of enhancing employability and job prospects post-graduation
5.. Establish, consolidate and improve the capacity of fishing cooperatives to co-manage all coastal fish stocks and other marine resources.