UNU Fisheries Training Programme in Iceland
Report of Activities in 1999
October 1999
Hafrannsóknastofnunin - Marine Research Institute
Skúlagata 4, IS-101 Reykjavík, ICELAND
Introduction
The UNU Fisheries Training Programme was established at the Marine Research Institute in Iceland in 1998. A detailed description of the programme structure and a discussion of its rationale was presented in the first report of this kind in November 1998. Although based at the MRI, several other institutions and companies cooperate with the MRI in the execution of the programme. In Iceland, about 70% of our exports are fish and fish products. The fisheries sector has a strong international orientation and several Icelandic companies are among the leaders internationally in their specific areas within the sector. The main strength of the FTP is the total environment in Iceland which has enabled the fisheries sector to develop to this level and provide the foundation for a thriving economy. If the fisheries resources of developing countries are to contribute significantly to economic growth, they must compete in an international environment. It is in this context that training in fisheries in Iceland can be of the greatest benefit to the developing countries. The success of the programme will therefore depend on how successful we are in involving not only government institutions, but also private companies, in the programme. In this report I will describe developments during the last year and also provide some more detailed information on the main cooperative partners in Iceland and how our relationship with the industry is developing. First though I will describe briefly the management of the programme and then how our first two groups of fellows have fared.
Management and support
At first the programme director was the only permanent staff member of the programme. As the programme has expanded and become more complex, the board decided it was time to employ a second staff member. The post was advertised in early April and Thor Heidar Asgeirsson who has worked as a specialist in the MRI for the past four years took up a 50% position in the programme. Thor holds M.S. degrees from Boston University and University of Massachusetts, Boston, in Science Education and in Marine Environmental Studies. His research has mainly centred around studies on reproduction and ecology of larval fish. He brings to the programme a solid experience in teaching and a good knowledge of the fisheries in Iceland and the organisational structure in the sector. He has for some time been responsible for the MRI interaction with schools and universities and the new responsibilities are in some ways a natural extension of this previous work.Last year the director of the MRI, Prof. Jakob Jakobsson, resigned from his post and took up a post of professional officer in charge of research into the herring stocks around Iceland. Earlier this year he also left his position as the chairman of the board of the FTP, but fortunately we still have good access to him and he keeps an active interest in the programme. His successor to the helm of the MRI, Jóhann Sigurjónsson, is now the chairman of the board. Jóhann is well aquatinted with the FTP, having worked with the teams which were responsible for the preparatory phase of the FTP. As before we receive all the necessary institutional support from the MRI, such as secretarial services, maintenance, library services, financial management etc., and this is of course the environment our fellows work in every day. The library is excellent and two librarians with special experise in fisheries assist its users. The fellows share offices and each has a PC computer with Internet link for their use during their studies here.
The first cohort
In fisheries parlance, the word cohort is used interchangeably with year-class, but is the preferred terminology when the breeding period or recruitment is not confined to one calendar year. The programme offers a six month training course and the first intake of six fellows was in August 1998, including one woman. The fellows all completed their training in February this year, and have been working in their home countries since then. Their projects are at present being prepared for publication and should come from the printers later this year. Of the six, four specialised in the area of Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing, and one each in the areas of Fisheries Policy and Planning and Marine and Inland Waters, Resource Assessment and Monitoring.In view of the emphasis on fish processing, the first international guest lecturer invited to give a series of lectures within the programme was Professor emeritus Robert G. Ackman from the Canadian Institute of Fisheries Technology, Dalhousie University, Canada. Prof. Ackman's speciality is in organic chemistry where he is best known for his pioneering work on the lipids (fats and oils) of marine biota. He delivered four double lectures on such varied topics as flavours, quality, consumer safety and health issues, all related to seafood fats The lectures were open to staff and students from the cooperating institutions as well and were attended by 40-60 people. Prof. Ackman spent a considerable time with the fellows, discussing their projects with them and on his return home, sent a number of relevant reprints to some of the fellows. He also became well aquatinted with the programme and discussed it with us.
In a formal evaluation exercise the first fellows all gave the programme good marks. A programme like this one is dynamic by its very nature and we do our best to adjust it to meet individual needs. Although we feel we have been successful in meeting these needs, there is still room for improvements. At a review workshop the studies committee suggested a number of fundamental changes to the course to improve the programme.
The course in 1999
The course in 1999 started in mid-June and will finish just before Christmas. This time there are nine fellows from seven countries. Six come from Africa, two from Asia and one from Argentine. There are two women in the course this time.The core course lasted eight weeks this time. Increased emphasis was placed early on formal training in using the computer, both to obtain information, but also to process it and to prepare presentations. These skills were further developed when preparing assignments in subsequent sections of the course. The core course ended with two weeks in Akureyri, northern Iceland, were the fellows attended lectures in manangement at the University of Akureyri and visited a number of diverse companies in fisheries in the district.
The specialist training took five weeks, including one week of project design, management and evaluation which was common to all participants. The formal course work in the programme was thus extended from 10 weeks in 1998 to 13 weeks in 1999. We feel this has given the fellows a better grounding and above all prepared them well for their project work.
By now all the fellows are engaged in their projects. In selecting projects, the emphasis is on applicability to the work situations the fellows have in their home countries. When this is written, the fellows are three to four weeks into their project work and are all making good progress.
There are four fellows specialising in Fisheries Policy and Planning. Their main supervisors are employed by the University of Iceland and in each case the projects involve management issues from their home countries, how to manage a particular resource on a sustainable basis at the same time as government objectives and goals of economic returns are met.
Maria Eugenia Cauhepe from Argentine is looking at a management system for the Argentinean hake fishery. This important fishery has been mismanaged with total catches exceeding recommended maxima in several subsequent years, leading to suppressed stocks, poor catches and low economic returns.
Mathias Shangala from Namibia is looking into the management of the deep water demersal fisheries, using the Orange Roughy as a case study. This is a new fishery and Mathias is looking at ways to regulate the fishery to meet the government objectives of increased participation of ethnic Namibians in the fisheries ("Namibianisation"), regional development and biological sustainability.
Jackson Penxa from South Africa is looking at models to redress historical imbalances in access to the fisheries resources in South Africa and evaluating the effect this may have on the management and regional economies. He is using the hake fisheries as a case study.
Abdul Amade from Mozambique is looking at ways to manage the artisanal coastal fisheries in Mozambique, to minimise conflicts and ensure economically and biologically viable fisheries.
Three fellows specialise in Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing. The practical part of their projects are done in the laboratories of the Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories and their supervisors are specialists from the institute and from the Icelandic Bureau of Standards. Here the projects are quite varied.
Margaret Masette from Uganda is comparing the perishability of Nile perch from Lake Victoria and ocean perch from the north Atlantic. The short shelf life of fresh Nile perch has long been a special problem which has put considerable constraints on the fish processing industry in the three riparian countries of Lake Victoria and negatively affected the price of their products. For this comprehensive project permission to import 50 kg of fresh Nile perch fillets from Uganda had to be obtained as there is currently an import ban into the EU and associated markets.
Jimmy Atyang from Uganda is looking at a quality assurance system used in Ugandan fish processing plants and special problems associated with its implementation. As part of his project, he will go on inspection rounds into Icelandic fish processing plants with inspectors from the Icelandic Directorate of Fisheries.
Jagath Munasinghe from Sri Lanka is making a comparative study on curing two types of small pelagic fish, one fat and the other one lean (herring and blue whiting, through salting). Pelagic species contribute the bulk of Sri Lankan fisheries and post harvest losses are large. It is therefore important to find a relatively inexpensive but effective way for preserving the catch and enhancing its value.
Finally there are two fellows specialising in Fishing Gear Technology. This is the first time we offer training in this area of specialisation. Both fellows work on training in their home countries, and in Iceland they have studied how the training of people for the fishing sector is organised and the first part of their specialist training took place at Sudurnes Comprehensive College, which trains gear technicians in Iceland. Part of their specialist training was hands-on oriented, with the fellows acquiring a variety of practical skills, but at the same time designing lesson plans on how to teach the same to their students back home. Their projects, as always, reflect their special interest and situations in their home countries.
Bandu Ekanyake from Sri Lanka is making a comparative study on the catch rates and catch composition in a long-line fishery, using two different types of hooks and three types of bait. Long lining has been identified in Sri Lanka as a suitable gear to improve the quality of the fish landed and to increase the commercial viability of the coastal fisheries, as long lines do not require the same level of investment as most other modern gear and at the same time they do not cause damage to sensitive coral reefs. The experiment Bandu is carrying out can easily be adapted to study other aspects of long-line fisheries. To be able to carry out this experiments in Iceland we have secured the cooperation of a commercial fisherman and the Ministry of Sea Fisheries has allocated the project a quota of five tons of mixed catch. In the highly regulated fisheries in Iceland the quota alone could be leased out for about USD 5000. Without this support we would find it difficult to carry out projects of this nature.
Jose Ramos is a gear specialist from Cape Verde Islands. His interest is in introducing new materials for gear making, materials that are lighter and stronger than the ones presently used by fishermen in Cape Verde. For his project work Hampidjan, a large Icelandic net maker with subsidiaries in different parts of the world, has given him the use of their testing laboratory and are providing other facilities and assistance in setting up the experiments. This generosity and helpfulness although exceptional in its scale, is typical of how the programme and our fellows have been received by the fisheries institutes and the fishing industry in general in Iceland.
The visiting lecturer in 1999
This year our visiting lecturer will be Dr. Ross Shotton, who is a fisheries resources officer at FAO, Rome. Dr. Shotton has a long and distinguished career both in fisheries biology and fisheries management. He will deliver five lectures relating to fishery management and also have ample time to look at individual fellows projects and discuss the programme with the studies committee. Dr. Shotton's visit is the start of what we hope will become a long and fruitful association with FAO.
Major cooperative partners in Iceland in 1999
Four institutions and universities in Iceland are in a formal cooperation on the FTP. In addition several other institutions and a large number of companies take part in the programme. It is this broad support and access to the various parts of the fisheries sector that is the main strength of the FTP in Iceland. I will now make a brief mention of the main partners:The Marine Research Institute is the lead institute in the cooperation. Its role is to conduct research on the marine environment around Iceland and its living resources, to provide advice to the government on catch levels and conservation measures and to inform the government, the fishery sector and the public about the sea and its living resources. The headquarters are in Reykjavik, but with seven branches around the country and strong links to the two universities in Iceland. The MRI runs three research vessels, has about 160 staff and an annual budget of about USD 14 million. Website: http://www.hafro.is
The Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories is a research institution in the field of foodstuffs, with specialisation in marine resources and products. Its headquarters are in Reykjavik, in the same building as the MRI, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Ministry of Sea Fisheries. The Institute has five branches in other parts of Iceland and strong links with the two universities in Iceland. Number of staff is about 80 and the annual budget about USD 3.5 million. Website: http://www.rfisk.is
The University of Iceland in Reykjavik was established in 1911. It has about 7000 students. The fellows of the FTP have the same rights and privileges to use the facilities and services of the university as registered students. Several member of staff carry out their research duties at the MRI and the IFL. Website: http://www.hi.is
The University of Akureyri was established in 1987 in northern Iceland. It has four faculties, including fisheries science and management studies and a total enrolment of about 500 students. Both the MRI and the IFL have branches in Akureyri and research staff have teaching duties at the university. The University of Akureyri has good connections to the fishing industry which is strong and varied in the district. In future it is expected that some fellows will work on their projects at the university. Website: http://www.unak.is
The four institutions described above have a formal contractual obligation in jointly in running the UNU/FTP in Iceland in cooperation with the UNU headquarters. In addition the UNU/FTP cooperates with a number of other institutions and companies, in Iceland and elsewhere. The two most involved in the course in 1999 are:
Sudurnes Comprehensive College, a large college on the Reykjanes peninsula about 50 km from Reykjavik. They provide vocational training for fishermen and gear technicians in Iceland. This year they have played a major role in the specialist training in gear technology and have entered the cooperation in a commendable spirit with creative solutions to meet the needs and wishes of the fellows. Their homepage, still only in Icelandic, can be found at: http://www.fss.is
Hampidjan, a fishing gear factory in Reykjavik has subsidiaries in Portugal, USA, New Zealand and Namibia which do both manufacturing and service. Affiliated companies and distributors are be found in numerous countries around the world. They have a large development and design department with modern equipment and facilities. One of the fellows this year is using their laboratories to carry out the experimental part of his project. Website: http://www.hampidjan.is
The next course
Based on our experience so far, we have decided that the best time to run this course in Iceland is from August to February. The quota year starts in September and therefore fishing activity and activity in associated industries is at an ebb in June to August. This is also the time most of our instructors would choose for their annual leave.The course is still in its development stage and next year we will emphasise Marine and Inland Waters, Resource Assessment and Monitoring as an area of specialisation and are considering offering Management of Fisheries Companies and Marketing as well.
The next cohort of fellows should arrive on the 18-19 August 2000 and the course will start on Monday 21st. There will be twelve fellowships available through our regular programme, and possibly we will add two or three participants funded from other sources, through cooperation with other international organisations. There is a considerable interest in the programme from all over the world and we expect to have a stronger representation from Asia and Latin America, although sub-Saharan Africa will continue to be an important area of focus.
