Program of Assistance to Artisanal Fisheries in the South PAPA SUD
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0ctober 1994 with a Ministerial Order from the Ministry of Fisheries, which set out its objectives as follows:
• To provide assistance, supervision, training and information to artisanal fisheries
stakeholders engaged in all fields of activity production, processing, marketing; •
To undertake, with fishermen in this sub-sector, the experimentation and dissemination of all the technical innovations related to the development of
artisanal fisheries; •
To order and sell all the materials and equipment for artisanal fisheries. With regard to institutional and operational issues, CAEP took over the responsibilities and even the
personnel of CAMP, and offered them proper training to be able to redirect their duties accordingly. In terms of results, CAEP functioned as a crosscutting entity and coordinated or conducted several
training sessions for the Fisheries Department, and also for the Ministry of Youth. We shall examine the impact of these training sessions later in the study.
After the national consultations in 20002001, there was a shift in focus. The authorities transformed CAEP into the Fisheries Enhancement, Experimentation and Extension Center CPEP. Established in
September 2003 Order of 31 December providing for the organization and operationalization of CPEP, this center, unlike the other Departments of the Ministry of Fisheries, was assigned
crosscutting objectives, such as:
• The training and retraining of fishermen and aquaculturists;
• The experimentation and extension techniques and research findings on fisheries
and aquaculture; •
The monitoring and examination of tax exemption records on fishing equipment. On institutional, organizational and operational aspects, CPEP took advantage of the accomplishments
of CAMP and CAEP. In terms of results, considerable gains were made in the delivery of fishing equipment and
accessories. In this regard, the proximity of fishermen, the existence of structures at the local level and of actors who were organized in EIGs all facilitated CPEP initiatives, particularly in stakeholder
training and capacity building.
CAEP and CPEP made substantial contributions to the experimentation and extension of navigation and safety materials and equipment Compasses, GPS, Life vests, flares and Reflectors. They also
helped experimenting in collaboration with fishermen with fiberglass boats. These boats were found to be more comfortable and safe for fishermen. In spite of all these accomplishments, CPEP ended in
2006 after 3 years of operation. It ended due to lack of resources for staff suport and operations. According to the statutes which created these provisions for the establishement of a state department
and extension services, the CPEP remains in existence. But it has been placed under the Ministry of Fisheries, and it has no staff and structure of its own.