Scientific research, fish stock assessment and training of IMBO and MFMR staff and students (WARFP)

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources had received a loan from the IDA and a grant from GEF and intends to spend part of the proceeds of this grant/loan for payments under contract for the recruitment of an internationally renowned marine scientific/fisheries research institution/agency/university to work with the Ministry of Fisheries and marine Resources (MFMR) and the Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanography (IMBO), Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone  in the implementation of the research/fish stock assessment  sub-component of the West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme in Sierra Leone. This activity will include the abundance estimation of Sierra Leone fish stocks which will provide the basis for the development of fisheries management plans that will include the allocation of use rights through total allowable catches (TACs) and other fisheries management strategies including the management of marine protected areas (MPAs).

• Provide training for IMBO and MFMR Staff on modern fish stock assessment tools and their applications
• Work with MFMR and IMBO to plan and conduct semi-annual fish abundance surveys (hydro-acoustics and demersal surveys) including oceanographic surveys with vessels capable of surveying 10m depth of the Sierra Leone fishery waters
•  Study and review existing fisheries data and data collection methods and recommend improved methodologies for gathering and analysing data relevant for the sustainable management of the Sierra Leone fisheries; such as (1) to make recommendations on the standardisation of methodologies so that commonly used methods are always applied; that the same software is used where standard methods are applied, etc
•  Work with MFMR and IMBO to identify the data used for stock assessment purposes for incorporation into the Ministry of Fisheries data collection systems, for use in the fisheries stock assessment process, including, (a)  Catch  and effort data from the commercial  fisheries (industrial fisheries) and artisanal fisheries (b) Non-commercial data (Scientific survey data including oceanographic data and other scientific experimental data used for stock assessment purposes). Support Enumerators and Observers  for effective fish catch and effort data collection including data collection on new landing sites discovered during the 2009 Frame Survey
• work with MFMR and  IMBO, commercial fishing companies, local fishers and fisher organisations to gather fisheries data relevant for the assessment of fish stocks;
• explore and monitor other parameters that can be used for fish stock assessment to corroborate results from surveys conducted under the ISFM and other projects
• identify country specific training needs and capacities and make recommendation for modifications on the existing curriculum of training at IMBO/University of sierra Leone
• identify gaps and inadequacies in the capacity of IMBO to deliver on relevant marine scientific/fisheries research and make recommendations