FCG New Zealand Contracted to Deliver Important Fisheries Project Reviews
FCG New Zealand has been selected to deliver two important end-of-project reviews for the Pacific fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Coastal fisheries and aquaculture are of enormous importance to the island countries and peoples of the Pacific, in terms of food security, livelihood, and cultural significance. However, a range of different pressures threaten the sustainable use of these resources across the Pacific Islands region.
In order to address this issue, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), has provided support to two projects: Effective Coastal Fisheries Management (ECFM) and Sustainable Pacific Aquaculture Development (PacAqua). The projects have been implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC).
The ECFM project focused on strengthening governance structures and processes, specifically legislation, policy, and monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, with the overall goal of contributing to enhanced food security and sustainable livelihoods in Pacific Island countries. The PacAqua project focused on improving the adoption and application of aquatic biosecurity standards, enhancing business acumen among aquaculture operations, and increasing uptake and adoption of improved aquaculture practices
SPC has contracted FCG’s team to carry out end-of-project evaluation to assess the performance of the ECFM and PacAqua projects. This is done by evaluating the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the two projects. The reviews will also look at the projects through a gender and inclusion lens and seek to understand the projects’ positions to long-term recovery of the region to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The evaluation will inform decisions on MFAT’s work in Pacific Island fisheries and aquaculture, including lessons and recommendations to guide future activities. Furthermore, the recommendations contained in the evaluation will be used to inform the implementation of the recently approved Sustainable Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture for Pacific Livelihoods, Food and Economic Security (SCOFA) project. SCOFA is the second phase of these activities, but will be designed and implemented as a single, integrated project, rather than as two separate projects.
