Oman’s Fishery Management Dives into 21st-Century Waters

Who We Are /  News FEATURE STORY Oman’s Fishery Management Dives into 21st-Century Waters August 13, 2015 This page in: English Français ‫اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ‬      STORY HIGHLIGHTS The Sultanate of Oman is trying to diversify its economy beyond oil and as part of that initiative, is working to overhaul its sheries sector. The World Bank is working with the country on a plan to vitalize and better manage its sheries as a step toward boosting livelihoods and making the sector ecologically sustainable In the past four decades, the Sultanate has grown into a middle-income country, and was ranked rst of 130 countries surveyed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in its 2010 Human Development Report in areas including health and education. Yet the country is overly reliant on oil revenues, and sheries are not productive as they once were. Oman's government is committed to transforming the management of its sheries – one of its lagging, traditional sectors. The sector is again recognized as important to the future of Oman, as well- managed sheries can be a bountiful and renewable resource and contribute to food security of the population, especially the poor. Today, many shers live in small villages where most family members work as or with artisanal shers. But the ocean’s health is fragile, the sh are migratory, and stocks have been depleted over time. As a starting point, the Omani government has begun the process of overhauling the sheries sector, and has asked the World Bank to help devise a plan to boost the sustainable livelihoods and prosperity of shing communities. “The government wants to improve every element of the value chain, from sh harvesting, to packaging and logistics, to marketing,” said World Bank senior environmental specialist, Banu Setlur. The World Bank has helped lay the groundwork for vitalization, o ering technical expertise, bringing international good practices and engaging stakeholders on building a shared vision to renew sheries. Welcome  " The government wants to improve every element of the value chain, from sh harvesting, to packaging and logistics, to marketing. " Banu Setlur World Bank Senior Environmental Specialist During a series of workshops in 2014, everyone from ministers to shers to tribal elders huddled with technical trainers who conducted detailed analyses on the state of Oman’s sheries. Together, they mapped out a vision for the future, as well as a means for its implementation. “It was the rst time in Oman that various stakeholders including shers from the seven coastal governorates were involved in decision-making,” said Jamal Al-Kibbi, World Bank program manager for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It was also a rst for the World Bank, which is increasing its focus on renewable blue resources— sheries, ocean resources and aquaculture. “The Oman Reimbursable Advisory Service (RAS) is a rst in the shery sector,” said Setlur, who is also the Bank team leader for the shery engagement in Oman. “The Bank has been asked to link the government’s investment program in the sheries sector to their vision of private sector led growth, while maintaining a focus on sustainable management of the natural resource,” she said. RAS projects o er customized local solutions through speci c, technical assistance. “We wanted to understand the indigenous knowledge, what’s working and what’s not working. They want to see development, and we are working with them to nd a way to harvest more high-value sh in the most economical way,” said Michael Arbuckle, a member of the World Bank team. This two-year e ort culminated in a Government of Oman vision for sheries and aquaculture to 2040: To achieve a pro table world-class sheries sector that is ecologically sustainable and a net contributor to the economy of Oman.  And the way Oman hopes to get there includes a measure of consensus new to its culture, according to Al-Kibbi. “Oman has been highly appreciative of our advice and technical analysis,” he said. “But I think  they are most appreciative of our convening power to put together top-level policy makers and all the stakeholders and direct discussion in a coherent fashion, consistent with their needs.”  The World Bank is also helping to prepare a pilot investment project in Abalone and Cuttle sh  following international best practice. Support for abalone stock enhancement is planned through scaling up hatchery activities, and improving the environmental compliance of these facilities. The  management of these valuable sh stocks will be increasingly turned over to the sher communities, supported by scienti c and advisory government services. The Bank hopes to support organizational management, business development and management training, and sheries management planning for new institutions built around shers and other key players. The vision is an ambitious plan that is designed to reinforce sector governance by strengthening monitoring and data collection; quality control; and branding and marketing. New shery management would help the authorities be more responsive to the actual needs of shing communities, and would help mobilize private investments into the sector. The goal is to bring sheries back as an economic resource -- both rooted in tradition and utilizing the newest advances to cultivate high-value sh. 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