Science, Technology and Innovation Communication

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3.6.2. Science, Technology and Innovation

Climate changes impact both fish resources and fishers’ communities living in coastal areas. In Senegal, as in other countries around the world, it is clear that climate impacts on fish landings are apparent. Therefore, the USAIDCOMFISH project will be working in collaboration with DPM and CRODT to identify major impacted stocks. This information will be used to identify strategies and mechanisms necessary for DPM to better manage catch per unit effort CPUE on threatened stocks by best adjusting fishing capacity and excess fishing effort to climate change threats. Even if impacts on coastal communities were already discussed during FY2011 with some partners studies will continue in FY2012, impacts on fish stocks have not been properly assessed in Senegal yet. Therefore USAIDCOMFISH will propose a set of scientific reviews and thoughts that will describe some examples of biological and economic impacts on stocks. Scientific reports from these thoughts will enable the project to propose required tools to better identify these impacts and inform DPM and the USAIDCOMFISH program on the required adaptation strategies. DPM and CRODT do have a series of historical data on stocks and species landed in Senegal. These data analysis combined with environment data will enable to demonstrate possible climate impacts on Senegalese fishery landings. These elements could be used to identify: - Climate change positive impacts on Senegalese fishery landings; - Current and future climate change impacts on food security for Senegalese populations; - The possible break-even point between operated landings and populations’ food security for a fisheries sustainable management.

3.6.3. Communication

Prepare and produce communication tools: At the project startup, main communication activities were conducted to elaborate a branding and visibility strategy for the project according to USAID requirements, and to create basic communication tools in order to inform on the project’s presence in Senegal. Exchanges between the project management team, USAID and URI enabled the creation and the approval of a branding and marking strategy for the project, prior to any communication activity. 23 Within the context of that branding strategy approved by USAID, the USAIDCOMFISH project developed panels and signs to identify the project’s premises and make it visible. Other communication tools also created on FY2011 are English and French PowerPoint presentations to present the project to major partners, the French translation of the project key documents project description, work plan, etc. in order to ease communication between the project key partners such as DPM. Flyers, kakemono, document files etc. were also developed to increase the project visibility towards partners and the general public. A sign indicating the access to the project premises Project local name competition: According to one of the project objectives, which is to promote the results approval by fishers’ communities, a competition was organized from May 23 rd to June 23 rd , 2011 in 8 fishers’ communitiessites Cayar, Joal, Mbour, Rufisque, Missirah, Dakar, Nianing, Niodor to find a local name to the project. This process was led on a consultative and participatory way by the project team in partnership with COPEM NGOs Committee and fishery Professional Organizations gathering over 30 NGOs from different marine and coastal regions in Senegal. Based on selected criteria related to the name’s originality, its meaning and its consonance, a jury of 4 women and 4 men agreed on the word Pencoo Gej as the project local name, which means in Wolof “Collaborative Management of Fish Resources” and summarizes the project approach on marine and coastal management. After consultation between the project team and the USAIDSenegal agents, it was decided to give to the project the official name of USAIDCOMFISH followed by the local name Pencoo Gej. 24 The winner of the project local name competition right Project launch: After a consultation between the USAIDCOMFISH project staff, USAIDSenegal from one side, and DPM from the other side, a date for the official project launch was set on October 19 th , 2011. The initial date set on September 13 th 2011 could not be maintained due to conflicts with the project partners’ agendas and other upcoming festivities workshop on priority stock. The date October 19 th was approved unanimously as it took into account activities and events already planned by the different project partners. Therefore, preparations were undertaken, including a project launch plan shared with COPEM, DMP and USAIDSenegal to settle an agreement on the launch agenda. Production of briefs bi-weeklies every two weeks: Four 04 bi-weeklies were prepared and sent to USAID during the period covered by the report. These bi-weeklies were respectively about the project local name designation process PENCOO GEJ, the proposition of a fisheries sustainable management model approved by DPM, the workshop on priority speciesstock selection and the project assistance to the validation of the MPAs National Strategy. 3.7. Project Management 3.7.1.Equip Premises and Recruit Complementary Staff