SWOT ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDED

POLICIES AND STRATEGIES OF ERITREAN

FISHERIES

Tesfom M A, Fisheries Economics, M.F.Sc Student

M Krishnan, PhD and Head FEES Division
Venugopalan, R. PhD Agricultural Statistics

The Seventeenth International Institute of Fisheries Economics &

Trade 2014 Conference: Towards Ecosystem Based Management o
Fisheries: What Role can Economics Play.
7-11 July, 2014, Brisbane, Australia
 Your availability is
important than your ability
 Outline
Introduction
Eritrean marine and coastal
features
Resource potential of Eritrean marine fisheries
Inland fish and marine fish production
CGR of marine fish production
Performance of marine fish production in Eritrea
SWOT analysis of Eritrean fisheries
Future research areas
Conclusion and recommendation
INTRODUCTION
Eritrea is situated at the horn of Africa
 Nationally Eritrea is food insecure with the
agricultural sector producing only 60% of food
requirements

However, Eritrea possesses abundant and

underexploited fish stocks

Which could considerably contribute to national

food security and reduce the incidence of poverty
 Eritrean Marine and Coastal
Features
Country coastline 3300 km

Mainland Coastline 1350 km

Islands Coastline 1950 km
Islands and islets 354
Country Area 124,000 km2
Territorial waters area 55,000 km2
Exclusive Economic Zone 120,000 km2
Watersheds linked with the coast 44,000 km2
Resource potential of Eritrean marine fisheries
Resource MSY(tons/year)
Soft bottom demersal 18,000
Small pelagics 50,000
Reef based demersal 5,000
Large pelagics 5,000
Crustaceans 1,000
Sharks 5,000
Sea cucumbers 1,000
Others 1,000
Total MSY 86,000
Species of fish Around 1,000
Coral reefs 220 known species
Generate income US$ 37.5 55 million
 Inland Fisheries
Reservoirs built in the high and lowlands of the
country (37 No.)

For irrigation and supply of drinking water

Species stocked or considered good candidates for

further stocking include Oreochromis niloticus,
Tilapia zilli, Cyprinus caprio, Carassius carassius
and Carassius auratus.
 Thetotal catch of inland fisheries recorded about 5
tons per year in 2002

Inland fisheries produces only 5% of the estimated

potential
MATERIALS
AND
METHODS
 Sixty
years data (1950-2009) on marine fish production
was collected from Sea Around Us Project website1.

Inthis study, the compound growth rate and Coppock

instability index (CII)

the study also used the compound growth rate and

performance analysis of the fish production as pre-
investigative tools to develop the SWOT analysis.
Coppock Instability Index (CII)
 Thus, using the statistical measures of CGR and CII the
growth and performance are examined.

Performance refers to the tradeoff of growth and instability

of fish production.

Where high growth-low instability refers to high performance

(desirable)

Low growth-high instability indicates low performance

(undesirable).
Performance categorization based on CGR/
instability tradeoffs

CGR/II tradeoff types Performance

1. High growth-low II (low risk) Most desirable
situation

2. High growth-high II (high risk) Less desirable

situation
3. Low growth-low II (low risk) Least desirable
situation
4. Low growth-high II (high risk) Least desirable
situation
Reddy and Mishra (2006):
 ThenSWOT analysis has been used for deriving the
reasons for the poor exploitation of the fisheries
resources of Eritrea.

The factors identified are used to formulate and

recommend suitable policies and strategies for
development and proper exploitation of the Eritrean
fisheries sector.
 RESULTS
AND
DISCUSSION
Performance of marine fish production in Eritrea

Table I: Decadal and overall growth rate, CII and

performance of Eritrean marine fish production (per cent)

Year CGR CII Performance

1950-1959 12.69 103 most desirable
1960-1969 8.17 72 most desirable
1970-1979 -50.40 339 least desirable
1950-1979 -6.86 98 less desirable
1980-1989 14.06 180 most desirable
1990-1999 27.58 142 most desirable
2000-2009 -17.46 95 less desirable
1980-2009 11.30 99 most desirable
1950-2009 -1.92 3 less desirable
 Marine Fish Production

- Rehabilitation
-MMR formation
-Artisanal -relative stability
-Fleet composition -prolonged war
-Level of
motorization
-Fleet destruction -border conflict
- displacement of -input scarcity &
fishers price spikes
-unstable political
situation
Matrix on growth and performance of marine fish
production in Eritrea
Eritrea: CGR vs. CII
40
Most desirable situation Less desirable situation
30
27.58
20
14.06
10 1112..369
8.17
0
-1.92
-6.86
CGR

-10

-20 -17.46

-30

-40
Less desirable situation Least desirable situation
-50 -50.4
-60
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
CII
 Thus

Improve
growth rate
in a sustainable
Eritmreananer. Type 3 (LCGR/HII)
CGR-II tradeoff- less
desirable
SWOT analysis of Eritrean fisheries
Strengths

1.High resource potential

2.Healthy and unpolluted sea
3.Management plans cover for most of the fisheries
4.Untapped inland fisheries resources
5.Separate Ministry of Marine Resources
6.Untapped offshore and deep sea resources
Opportunities

1.Strategic location and access to important regional and

international markets
2.Rising demand for fish consumption and exports
3.Expanding global fisheries market
4.Potential for food security and reducing poverty
5.Source of foreign exchange and investment
6.Source of income and employment
7.Tourism
Weaknesses
1.Poor institutional capacity
2.Shortage of technical manpower and expertise
3.Inadequate infrastructure
4.Monopsonic fish marketing
5.Limited financial and technical investment capital
6.Use of Outdated and dilapidated traditional fishing craft
7.Low participation of NGOs
8.Illegal cross border trade
9.Fuel shortages and exorbitant fuel prices
10.Insufficient management system
11.Lack of value addition
12.Lack of sufficient management research
Threats

1.Drought prone Sub-Saharan region

2.border conflicts
3.Political instability
4.Climate changes impacts
5.IUU Fishing by foreign vessels
 Future research areas
Eritrean fisheries sector is operating at less than optimum level.
Therefore, there is the need for strengthening the overall support

1. Regular stock assessment surveys

2. Investigating existing marketing channels, marketing

margins and price spread

3. Studies on integrating native and traditional

knowledge with mechanized fisheries
4. Re-organization of the fishing sector with a top-down approach.
SHGs, cooperatives and producer companies need to be looked into

5.Studies on contribution of the fisheries sector to the national GDP

-to develop new strategies and re-orient existing ones.

6.Studies on inland fisheries sector related to production,

marketing, financing and development for proper development of
sector
 Conclusion and recommendation
TQM Systems GPS and satellite
equipment
Adequate financial
& technical
investment EBFM

Facilitating Marine & inland

Improved Marketing Fisheries fisheries
Development
Training and Model Institutional
extension building

Infrastructure Development Scientific

& Improving fishing Research and HRD
efficiency
 Conclusion and recommendation
TQM Systems GPS and satellite
equipment
Adequate financial
& technical
investment EBFM

Facilitating Marine & inland

Improved Marketing Fisheries fisheries
Development
Training and Model Institutional
extension building

Infrastructure Development Scientific

& Improving fishing Research and HRD
efficiency
Ecosystem based fisheries management
 Conclusion and recommendation
TQM Systems GPS and satellite
equipment
Adequate financial
EBFM
& technical
investment
Marine & inland
Facilitating fisheries
Improved Marketing Fisheries Institutional
Development building
Training and Model
extension Scientific Research
and HRD
Infrastructure Development
& Improving fishing Fisheries cooperative
efficiency societies and SHGs
 Fisheries cooperative societies and SHGs

Bargaining power and competitive edge in fish

marketing

Strengthening
Fisheries Mobilises and cooerdinates fishers
Cooperative
Societies &
SHGs Helps implementation of strategies/policies

Channel for effective credit schemes