Norway launches sustainable fisheries project in Sudan

Norway and UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have launched a US$5.08mn project for sustainable management of marine fisheries in Sudan’s Red Sea

Khaled El Mekwad, UNIDO representative to Sudan, said that information on the status of fish stocks and actual fish landings in the Red Sea state is limited. The annual unutilised economic potential of the marine fishery is estimated to range from US$13.7mn to US$26.4mn.

“To realise this potential in a sustainable way, reliable information on the status of the resources and fish landings is required as well as strengthened institutional capacity and good governance of the Sudanese fishery resource. In the Red Sea state small-scale and artisanal fisheries, play an important role in food security, livelihood, poverty eradication and equitable development,” added Mekwad.

Over the next three years, the project will collect and analyse information, implement monitoring surveys of the coastal fish stocks and develop a state-of-the-art database on fish landings.

The project is in line with the strategic priorities for Norwegian development assistance and Norwegian efforts in contributing to improved governance of natural resources in Sudan.