Somalia has over 3,000 km of coastline and fishing is an important economic sector. In the 1980s, fishing improved with total catch rising from 16,900 tons in 1986 to 18,200 tons in 1988. However, fishing still only contributed less than 1% of GDP. The coastline of south central Somalia provides over 45% of the country's exclusive economic zone, with sustainable annual catches estimated between 73,000-105,000 tons. However, fishermen lack adequate equipment and training to fully utilize the resources. Supporting fishermen through training and equipment would boost their incomes and productivity while creating jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities. This could also help improve security by occupying youth who

1. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES & MARINE
RESOURCES
Presentation on Somali fishery

3. Fishing
In part because Somalia has 3,025 kilometers of
coastline, fishing was a sector with excellent economic
potential. Considerable attention had been paid to this
sector, especially since the 1974 drought, when 15,000
nomads were resettled in fishing cooperatives. Data in
the latter half of the 1980s showed improvement in
the fishing industry. Food and Agriculture Organization
estimates of total tons of fish caught and processed
rose from 16,900 in 1986 to 18,200 in 1988, an
increase that resulted from the development of a
national fishing fleet. Yet fishing remained a largely
unexploited sector, contributing less than 1 percent of
GDP in 1990.

4. Fisheries Sector in the South and Central Somalia
South Central Somalia has a coastline of about
1,200 kilometers and about 45 percent of the
Economic Executive Zone. This makes the sea
area over which South Central Somalia has
jurisdiction larger than its land area of about
324600 square kilometers, The Fisheries
resources have an estimated annual sustainable
catch of about 12.500 tons of large pelagic fish.
Including tuna and kingfish. The estimated
annual sustainable catch of small pelagic fish

5. anchovies, scad, and horse mackerel is about
39,000 tons. The annual catch of sharks and
rays is about 13,500 tons.
Demersal (bottom fish) such as scavengers,
grouper, snapper, grunt, sea bream, lizard fish,
and threadfin bream. It has been estimated that
some of 22.500 ton of large demersal fish per
year could be taken on a sustainable basis in the
Region.

6. Annual inshore lobster catches could total
around 500 tons per year, while deep-sea
lobster could yield 680-900 Tons per year.
Small quantities of prawns are found in the
in the Region, including near the Juba River
outlet at Kismayo and
Ras Kiamboni near the Kenya Boarder.
The total seasonal availability of all fish has
been estimated at between 73,000 to
105.000 tons

7. Somali Development and Rehabilitation
Organization (SDRO) has conducted a
survey assessment of fishing in Hobyo
District, Galmudug State of Somalia and
visited around eighteen fishing sites in
the district. The fishermen are eager to
resume their fishing activities, but
encountered persistent challenges of
inadequate fishing gears, insufficient of
technical fishing skills, lack of cooling
storage facilities in the sites and fishing
boats etc.

8. The assessment report was written in Somali
language as far as all the respondents
expressed every thing associated to fishing in
their mother language for example the types
of fishes, type of boats and fishing nets.
To understand better find attached tables
illustrating names of fishing sites, number of
fishers per site, number of fishing boats, type
of fishing boats and type of fishes, quantity of
fishes, sharks, snappers and lobsters that have
been caught per annum which is either
exported or consumed locally

9. The fishermen needs to train on modern fishing
skills and obtain very efficient boats and fishing
gears respectively to increase their daily
production and reduce poverty level in the
district and also create job opportunity to the
youth. In the past years, most of youth in the
district engaged sea pirates mission, fortunately
that operation came to an end due the foreign
interventions led by NATO and now the youth
are ready to join work forces in the ground to
support their backloads and not being
economically marginalized in their communities.

10. The support given to the local fishers
will boost their income, moral and self-
esteem and also will contribute the
security in the district that
humanitarian workers could operate to
reach vulnerable groups to minimize
communities suffering

11. The Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources
published ‘Guidelines for Fisheries Joint
Venture with Foreign Partners’ in 1985, known
as Fisheries Guidelines, to regulate joint
ventures between Somali fishers and foreign
investors.
The Guidelines detailed requirements for an
application to establish a fisheries joint
venture and any limitations on the quantity of
fish caught.

12. The Somali Government signed the African
Convention on the Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources on the 15th of Sep
1968. By signing the African Convention,
Somalia agreed to ensure conservation,
utilization and development of soil, water,
flora and fauna resources as well as
managing aquatic environments with a
view to minimize deleterious effects of any
water and land use that may negatively
affect the aquatic habitat.

13. In addition, the African Convention
prohibits the use of certain fishing
techniques and as a result the Somali
State is required to pass fisheries
legislation that prohibits destructive
fishing methods or practices including
the use of drugs, poisons, poisoned
weapons, explosives and poisoned
baits.

21. Thanks for your attention
Somali Fish Process