Program on Sustainable Fishery Development in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SFISH) ( - Тендер #44810736)

• Project ID

P178143

• Project Title

Program on Sustainable Fishery Development in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SFISH)

• Country

Middle East and North Africa

• Notice No

OP00241236

• Notice Type

Request for Expression of Interest

• Notice Status

Published

• Borrower Bid Reference

PERSGA-2201-CS-INDV

• Procurement Method

Individual Consultant Selection

• Language of Notice

English

• Submission Deadline Date/Time

Aug 31, 2023 00:00

• Published Date

Aug 09, 2023

• CONTACT INFORMATION
• Organization/Department

The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

• Name

Almahi Suliman

• Address

PERSGA, P.O. Box 53662, Al-Worood Street, Jeddah 21583 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel: +966.12.4238865

• City

• Province/State

Middle East and North Africa

• Postal Code

• Country

Middle East and North Africa

• Phone

+966 12 423 0008867

• Email

sourcing@persga.org

• Website

www.persga.org

The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment

of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA)

Sustainable Fishery Development in Red Sea

And Gulf of Aden Project (SFISH)

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Individual Consultant to lead improving fishery statistics, stock assessment/ management performance, and the regional mechanism for collaborative assessment and management of fisheries in

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

• Background

1.1 Project Context and Framework

The Regional Organization for Conservation of the Marine Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) is an intergovernmental organization established since 1995. PERSGA institutional framework is based on the Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment (Jeddah Convention 1982), which joins seven member states, including Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Rational use of marine resources and the protection of coastal marine environment from pollution and overexploitation are central objectives of Jeddah Convention (1982) and its derived Regional Protocols and Action Plan. PERSGA runs regional programs and projects that support regional capacities and coordination to achieve these objectives.

The announced Consultancy is needed for implementation of the regional project “Sustainable Fisheries Development in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden” project, referred to hereafter as the Project or SFISH, which is supported by the World Bank and executed by PERSGA in the region. The project development objectives is to strengthen capacities and regional collaboration in management of marine fisheries and aquaculture in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region. The regional SFISH project subcomponents focus specifically on: i) developing PERSGA regional data center and integrated information system for monitoring and assessment, and sharing knowledge to support science-based policy and management of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in PERSGA region; ii) strengthening PERSGA platforms for capacity development and regional coordination mechanisms for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; iii) enhancing citizens, private sector and development partners engagements in sustainable fishery through effective communication and awareness strategies. The framework for the project activities will be based on the Jeddah Convention (1982) and associated protocols, particularly the Protocol Concerning the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the Establishment of Network of Protected Areas in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (2005), and the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Management of Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture (in progress), which provide the regional framework for data sharing, joint assessments and coordination of management efforts. The PERSGA Regional Program for Management of Living Marine Resources (LMR) also provides operational base. This program undertakes regular capacity building and regional coordination activities for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management in the region since several years.

As part of the SFISH project activities, several key consultancy assignments will be conducted to provide technical assistance for sustainable fisheries development and management in the region. These will coherently address priority issues for effective fishery and aquaculture governance and management functioning in the region, ranging from those related to control of IUU fishing, protection of fish spawning aggregations, and reduction of fishery bycatch, to improving management of fisheries statistics and their use in stock assessment/ recovery, management functioning and regional data sharing for joint assessment of the RSGA fisheries status, and regional mechanism for collaboration. Other connected project consultancy assignments will support regional capacities regarding fisheries conservation measures and critical habitats for protection and restoration planning, and promoting capacities for sustainable aquaculture best practices and biosecurity measures, and climate resilience.

1.2 Activity Focus

In this framework, the current consultancy assignment focuses on providing technical assistance (tasks defined below) for improving fishery statistics, with emphasis on their use in stock assessment and recovery management measures for major and priority pelagic and demersal species, relevant management performance, and supporting regional mechanism for joint assessment process and collaboration in fishery management. The individual international consultant is required to lead this key consultancy in cooperation with national experts from PERSGA member states. The consultancy team, including the lead international and the national experts involved in this consultancy will closely collaborate with other consultancy teams of a parallel project activities (indicated in 1.1 above), particularly to share information and complement assessments and capacity building interventions addressing management gaps and performance, and support of the regional mechanism. They will also ensure maximum synergy with relevant national efforts, programs and projects.

• Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultancy assignment aims to provide technical assistance in the context of project activities planned to improve management, improving and harmonization of fishery statistics, and their effective use for assessment of major and priority fish stocks and management measures, improving performance of MCS systems and supporting the regional mechanism for joint assessment process, and collaboration in management of fisheries. Therefore, the consultancy involves the following specific objectives:

• Assessing the current state, management capacities/ efforts and analyzing gaps for:
• Effective collection and management of sound fishery statistics, their application in the effective Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS), and stock assessment for major/ priority fish species.
• Harmonizing fishery statistics and data sharing at regional level, and organizing regular process for joint assessment of the status of fisheries in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden large marine ecosystem.
• Establish/promote devices and tools to sustain effective regional mechanism for collaboration in management of marine fisheries in the region.
• Demonstrate stock assessments for priority fisheries within PERSGA region, including priority pelagic (e,g. Tuna, Spanish mackerel, small pelagics), and demersal/ shallow water species important in domestic fisheries in the member states, whereby such stocks generate socioeconomic benefits for the livelihoods that depend on them. Fish Stocks to be prioritized will be based on the above assessment taking into account social, economic, nutritional, food security and environmental criteria, as well as their role in the larger ecosystem.
• Provide technical guidelines and support building relevant regional capacities, considering needs for cost effectiveness, standard methodologies and procedures, sustainability etc., addressing gaps identified through above assessments, i.e. building technical capacity and knowledge needed to implement recommended actions and measures at national and regional levels, and demonstrating the regional process. This would include through developing and facilitating relevant guidelines and training packages (focused modules and workshops), in order to assist building institutional and human capacities to improve management relevant to issues indicated in (a) and (b) above. It would also establish regional approach, baselines, objectively verifiable indicators, etc. for the regular assessment process; and demonstrate this through production of a report on the status of assessed fisheries in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region.
• Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant

In this context, the consultant will work directly with the Project Coordination Unit “PCU” as a lead consultant, and in close collaboration with a regional team of national experts (including a national consultant from each PERSGA member state) to undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

Task 1: Lead conducting assessments and gap analysis in support of sustainable fisheries management, with emphasis on status and capacities for:

• Collection and management of sound fishery statistics and their application in the MCS and fish stock assessment and recovery for priority fish species;
• Harmonizing fishery statistics and data sharing at regional level to carry out regular process for joint assessments of the status of fisheries in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden large marine ecosystem;
• Assist developing devices and tools for strengthened mechanisms of sustainable regional collaboration and coordination in management of marine fisheries, building on the current regional framework and the progressive steps reinforced by the project.

The intended assessments will provide statistics and information to congregate database, and establish baselines and objectively verifiable quantitative indicators for future fish stock monitoring of selected species and assessments against such baselines. They will also provide situational analysis identifying legislation, policy and management gaps, barriers, and root causes etc. hindering good and effective governance, which will form basis for proposing policy reforms, management actions and measures, guidelines and focused capacity building/ training intervention needed, and demonstration activity of launching stock assessments and monitoring of priority stocks, and the regular regional reporting process on the status of fisheries in the RSGA, to be carried out in the subsequent tasks under the consultancy assignment.

Specific duties of the consultant under Task 1 include:

• Develop detailed methodologies and tools to be used in the above indicated assessments
• Provide necessary orientation and technical backstopping to the assigned national consultants undertaking the assessments activities at national levels in each member state, based on the standard methodologies and tools developed.
• Prepare a comprehensive regional assessment report with particular emphasis on the topics outlined through (i) to (iii) above, based on the data and information collected and compiled by the national assessments, results of situational analysis, and other relevant resources and literature. This would include also selected species for demo stock assessment and relevant capacity development activities.

Task 2: Develop technical guidelines and training packages, and deliver training workshops with particular focus to:

• Improve capacities for collection and management of fishery statistics, and their use in performance of fish stock assessment/recovery measures for priority fisheries and relevant MCS processes and functions;
• Advise on effective regional mechanism, including harmonizing fishery statistics and database, regular process for joint assessment of the status of fisheries; and devices and tools for workable regional collaboration and coordination in fishery policies, action planning and management measures, building on the current regional framework and the progressive reinforcement by the project

The technical guidelines should be explicit and tailored to the region, oriented to guide management in addressing existing gaps and implementing recommended priority measures, particularly those identified by assessments carried out through Task (1) above. The training packages/ modules would also focus on capacity building needs, i.e. capturing principles, methods, tools and technical aspects to build required capacities, skills, and improved knowledge to enable effective implementation. Guidelines and capacity building interventions to support MCS performance would complement with those carried out by the consultancy team working on other aspects regarding management of IUU fishing, fish spawning aggregations and fishery bycatch in the project, which will be coordinated by assigned regional experts from PERSGA PCU side. Specific duties of the international consultant under Task 2 include:

• Develop regional technical guidelines/manuals and training modules covering the above indicated subjects/issues, including those focusing on: 1) improving fishery statistics collection and management, and performance of fish stock assessment/recovery and MCS measures for priority species; 2) improving the regional mechanism, including harmonizing fisheries statistics, developing regional database and regular process of joint assessment of the status of fisheries, and devices/ tools for the regional mechanism for sustainable collaboration and coordination in fishery policies, action planning and management measures, building on the current regional framework and the reinforcement provided by the SFISH project.
• Facilitate 2 regional training workshops covering the above themes based on the relevant regional guidelines and training modules. Each regional workshop will be designed to provide Training of Trainers for 14 national specialists from PERSGA member states, and based in PERSGA HQ in Jeddah.

Task 3: Lead stock assessments of priority fish species and preparation regional assessment report on the status of fisheries in the PERSGA region:

The international consultant will act as a lead author of the compiled assessment of fish stock status report for selected priority species, including specific recommendations for management measures, as well as the first report in the regular process for assessment of the status of fisheries in PERSGA region. The key objective of this first report is to establish the approach/ design, to regularize a set of key, objectively verifiable, quantitative, indicators to support current and future more objective and effective regional fishery status reporting under PERSGA program and regional mechanism. In this context, the international consultant (as lead author) will be assisted by the team of national consultants and regional experts from PERSGA, contributing to the preparation of the reports. The consultant will also make use of the results of assessment undertaken through task (1) above, in addition to assessments carried out by other preceding/ parallel pertinent consultancies of the project, particularly those providing information on status of IUU fishing, fish spawning aggregations, fishery bycatch, fishery conservation measures and critical habitats, as well as other relevant resources and literature available.

Specific duties of the consultant under Task 3 include:

• Lead performing assessments of stock status for priority fisheries within PERSGA region, based on defined priority species in the initial assessment (see Task 1), including the compiled report. These should demonstrate both priority pelagic (e.g. Tuna, mackerel, small pelagics) to showcase joint assessment of trans-boundary/straddling stock, and demersal/ shallow water species important in domestic fisheries in each of the seven PERSGA member states, which may vary depending on national priorities.
• Develop guidelines, approach, design, layout and set of regional process for assessment of the status of fisheries PERSGA region.
• Provide necessary orientation and technical backstopping to the assigned national consultants/ regional experts, who will be compiling information/data for the regional report & analyses of the regional indicators’ status, and contributing inputs to the report.
• Prepare the above indicated first “regional report on the status of fisheries in PERSGA region including the full report, and a summary for decision makers.

• Key Deliverables and Tentative Timing from contract signature

• Duty station and duration

Duty station: Home based with in-situ field visits to the region for consultation and provision of technical training and advice. The consultancy will be completed in around 20 months, during which the consultant is expected to utilize approximately 180 working days.

• Qualification, Skills and Experience

The following qualifications and experience are required to be met by the consultant:

• A post graduate qualification ( Preferable MSc, PhD) in fisheries management, marine biology/ecology or other relevant discipline
• Advanced knowledge of tools and approaches for sustainable fisheries management; assessment and analysis of fishery statistics/data, stock assessments, MCS functions, and devices/tools for regional fishery mechanism and joint assessments.
• Good knowledge of the concept and practice methodologies of responsible fisheries/ ecosystem approach to fisheries management.
• Proven experience in similar assessments and capacity development interventions in fisheries management and development, fisheries data collection and analysis using cell and internet enabled systems, data base design and function, including policies, planning and management practices.
• Excellent background knowledge on international and regional legislations, framework policies, technical guidelines, agreements and initiatives addressing sustainable fishery.
• Proven experience in similar consultancy works at the international and regional organizations level, and ability to produce outputs at international standards.
• Familiarity with/ knowledge of the status of fishery, issues and concerns in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, preferably background experience in relevant works in the region;
• Fluency in English is mandatory, adequate proficiency in Arabic and French would be an advantage
• Highly self-motivated and able to work independently, as well as good interaction with the regional/ national teams and counterparts.
• Application procedure and closing date
• Interested applicant should submit Expression of Interest (EoI) letter and CV to the following email address: sourcing@persga.org
• Applications should be received no later than 31 August 2023 (23:59 Riyadh time zone)
• EoI letter should indicate the consultancy assignment title and Activity Code mentioned above

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