Somali Fair Fishing

Welcome to the website of Somali Fair Fishing

What is it all about?

We are an independant, non-profit Danish-Somali non governmental organization, and we are building up a local fishing industry in Somaliland. You can read more about who we are, and who is supporting us, elsewhere on this site. The following is the status of our efforts by april 2013. For news and updates follow us on Facebook.

Status right now

We have started working on the ground. This year – 2013 – all our efforts are based on proving that our concept is possible: To upgrade fishing from Berbera so that one ton of fish of commercial value is landed every day in a month at the end of 2013. And so far things look very promising. SFF has got all the necessary permits, been surveyed by local and national authorities as planned and has designed the SFF fishery station. The area is of approx. 1.500 square meters and it is almost cleared of junk. Medium April and builders have started laying the foundation for the five refrigerated containers to be grouped with a processing room and storage and a small workshop, a guardhouse and a small office. 

The SFF fishery station

When the first phase is completed in August 2013, the station will be able to start delivering ice, receive and process fish in September, and the plan is that the station in 2013 is able to receive, process and distribute between 50-100 tons of fish. The station will have 8 employees, and along with the production SFF in cooperation with Save the Children wants to implement a training program for 10-15 young men and women with interests and abilities to work in the fishing sector.

Large donations

SFF has received large donations from Danish companies in form of equipment, supplies and services. Trucks, flushers, knives, protection equipment, uniforms, work clothes, stainless steel tables, shelves and trolleys and virtually all other equipment needed to process the catch when it is landed. Fishery is not without risk, so we’ve also got 3 lifeboats with engines, rescue equipment and first aid equipment to make fishery and processes with the fish on shore as safe as possible and with the necessary help supply within reach. 

Equipment

We have purchased a flake ice machine in China to be placed and function at the fishery station. It comes on schedule in late May 2013. Furthermore we have purchased large quantities of different types of nets, lines, plastic containers and other specialized equipment. We have established a storage centre in form of two, locked containers at the Port of Aarhus, where we handle and register the loading of the contributions of machinery and equipment. This centre is managed and led by a Danish-speaking expert from the Somali diaspora community in Denmark. He works voluntarily.

The expert and our organization in Somaliland

SFF has hired a fishery expert project manager Kurt Bertelsen Christensen from 1 October 2012. He has been on 3 stays in Somaliland in October, February and April. He returns to Somaliland in June to continue his work building up the fishery station and the local organization. SFF has established an office in Berbera and we employed a Somali project coordinator Mr. Jama from 1 March 2013 and an office employee Miss Hinda from 1 April with the international NGO SFF Berbera. SFF is negotiating with local fishery companies on cooperation, that is, access to SFF's cooling and freezing facilities and the processing line against payment of cost price, i.e. without profit to SFF. The same offer is presented to individual fishermen and their crews. We try at all stages to emphasize SFFs position as a non-profit, non-governmental and political and religious independent organization. Thus SFF is completely neutral and wants to maintain that position and to be respected as such.

Cooperation

SFF is in the process of attaching a fishery training program in Denmark or Europe with Berbera Marine and Fishery Academy to develop a fishery education or training program including all aspects of fishery, processing fish, bringing it to the marked and cooking it, with involvement of Save the Children, which has funds for education programs for young Somali men and women. SFF has had promising meetings with Berbera Marine and Fishery Academy. SFF has drafted a "Letter of Intent", which is already signed by Berbera Marine and Fishery Academy. SFF is now in the process of preparing a "Memorandum of Understanding" with Save the Children.

The Delegation

Members of SFF's board of directors and the executive secretary have visited Somaliland 4th – 13th April 2013 to inspect the project and to promote the project locally and regionally through meetings with politicians and officials, as well as DANIDA, Søren Skou Rasmussen, and the World Bank, Dennis Dunn in order to get their support. SFF had successful and promising meetings with the Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Abdillahl Jama Osman (Geeljire), the Minister for National Planning and Development, Mr. Saad A. shire PhD.IMC., the Minister of Labour and social affairs and his director Mr. Abdi Abdillahi Hassan, the Mayor of Berbera, Mr. Abdishakur Mohamoud Hassan and Governor of the area of Berbera. The delegation met four times with the Minister of Fisheries and twice with the National Planning Minister. To handle SFFs money transfers and payments we have made an agreement with Dahabshiil and met with the Chairman and Founder Mr. Mohamed Said Diale. During the visit to Somaliland SFF also held a public meeting with Berbera’s fishermen and fishing companies in order to clarify what it is, SFF can offer and under what conditions.

The Diasporas

The Diaspora in Denmark is involved in relation to solving practical tasks together with the Secretariat, including translation into Somali, establishing contacts and giving SFF advice. In addition two members of the Danish diaspora have seats in SFF's board. The Diaspora in Somaliland supports SFF for local, regional and national communication, negotiations and agreements.

SFF recognized

In Somaliland SFF has been recognized as an international NGO in February 2013. In addition, an agreement with the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries in Somaliland gives SFF free use of a given area of the harbour of Berbera (FAO area) to establish a fishery station, where catches can be processed and prepared for forwarding in an prober, adequate hygienic and refrigerated way.

SFF is represented and present SFF's efforts at relevant conferences on the situation in Somalia, Somaliland and its adjacent waters. 

SFF participated in the Launch of the 2012 Report from Oceans Beyond Piracy "The Economic Cost of Somali Piracy 2012" 9 April, 2013 in Copenhagen. 

SFF participated in the conference Combating Piracy in Hamburg from 23 to 25 April, 

SFF participates in the Somali Conference in London on 8 May 

SFF participates in the Third Biennial Conference on Strategic Theory, Maritime Security off the African East Coast: Moving beyond piracy in Dar Es Salaam, 18-20 September 2013th

SFF works closely with Shuraako International www.shuraako.org and locally in Somaliland. 

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