Outline of the Project

Project Name

Project on Pacific Islands Capacity Enhancement for Achieving SDG 14

Subject

Fisheries

Country

Fiji
(Solomon Islands, Palau, Vanuatu and other 14 countries and region)

Date R/D Signed

February 14, 2022

Term of Cooperation

December 24, 2020 to March 31, 2025

Implementing Organization

Ministry of Fisheries

Background

United Nations Member States defined "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'' and adopted seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 which are an urgent call for action of all countries. SDG14 - Life Below Water- is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. During the forty-seventh Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Meeting, the leaders acknowledged the regional leadership of Pacific Island countries in the marine sector including achievement of SDG14. Moreover, Fiji and Sweden hosted the World Ocean Conference in 2017, and Prime Minister Bainimarama stated that SDG14 should be placed at the top of a global agenda as well as climate change. Management Plan of Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji (2020-2021) defines the main four targets, 1) Economic development (offshore fishery), 2) Conservation and management of fisheries resource (coastal fishery), 3) Food security (aquaculture), and 4) Administrative services, whose strategies include development of human resource.

Therefore, it can be considered that the commitments for achieving SDGs 14 have been surely declared by political level. However, as implementation of the SDG14 targets on the ground, there is a chronic shortage of human resource. With limited availability it has been difficult to sufficient take action to improve staff capacities for implementation.

For these reasons, this project aims to undertake the capacity enhancement of people in PICs to promote activities for implementation of SDG 14 effectively for the future in the Pacific region. The project adapts two-step procedure, in 2021 (the first FY), the project team is analysing the needs in Fiji in relation to the capacity enhancement for implementation of SDG 14 and secondly the formulation of project strategy and plan of operation.

The project team is comprehensively formulating training curriculums at strengthening knowledge and techniques involving practical training, which are managed by the School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Science in The University of The South Pacific (USP-SAGEONS). Moreover, effective and sustainable human resource in this project will be developed with the cooperation with the cooperation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Secretary of Pacific Committee (SPC), the Secretariat of Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other partners.

The trainings on coastal resource management, aquaculture and fish processing for Ministry of Fishery in Fiji will be delivered since the beginning of 2022. Then, each division will implement scall-scale project based on their issue and needs. After trainings and small-scale projects for Fijian Ministry of Fishery, this project will be expanded to Palau, Samoa and Vanuatu through south-south cooperation in cooperation with other JICA projects. Thus, JICA will implement the development of human resources in the region, which contribute to SDG14, enabling the environment to ensure synergies among PICs with their accumulated knowledge and experience.

The Overall Goal

Capacities of regional fisheries stakeholders to promote actions for achieving SDG 14 are enhanced in the PICs.

Project Purpose

Capacities of Fijian fisheries stakeholders to promote actions for achieving SDG 14 in the PICs are enhanced.

Output

1. Plan of capacity enhancement for Fijian fisheries stakeholders and plan of south-south cooperation for regional fisheries stakeholders are approved by SDG14 training committee.
2. Technical competency of Fijian fisheries stakeholders to support actions for achieving SDG14 in Fiji is improved.
3. Technical competency of Fijian fisheries stakeholders to implement south-south cooperation for achieving SDG14 is improved.
4. Regional roadmap of capacity enhancement of fisheries stakeholders for achieving SDG 14 in the PICs is adopted.

Project Activities

Output 1

1.1.	Issues, needs and actions for achieving SDG 14 are identified in collaboration with related governmental agencies in the PICs.
1.2.	Issues, needs and actions for achieving SDG 14 are identified in collaboration with Pacific regional agencies (PIF, CROP etc.).
1.3.	Issues, needs and actions for achieving SDG 14 are identified in collaboration with UN agencies, donors and NGOs.
1.4.	Issues, needs and actions for achieving SDG 14 are identified in collaboration with Japanese related agencies.
1.5.	Plan of capacity enhancement for achieving SDG 14 in the PICs is drafted based on combining the survey results from 1-1 to 1-4.
1.6.	SDG 14 training committee is organized including Fiji MoF, USP-SAGEONS, and other related agencies.
1.7.	Plan of capacity enhancement for achieving SDG 14 in the PICs is finalized and approved by SDG 14 training committee.

Output 2

2.1.	Training curriculum for Fijian fishery officers is formulated in collaboration with SDG 14 training committee.
2.2.	Training materials for Fijian fishery officers are developed.
2.3.	Training courses for Fijian fishery officers are conducted in collaboration with USP-SAGEONS.
2.4.	Roadmap for achieving SDG 14 in Fiji is drafted in collaboration with training participants.

Output 3

3.1.	Regional training curriculum for fishery officers in PICs is formulated in collaboration with SDG 14 training committee.
3.2.	Trainings of trainers for Fijian fishery officers are conducted in preparation for regional training courses in PICs.
3.3.	Regional training materials for fishery officers in PICs are developed.
3.4.	Regional training courses for fishery officers in PICs are conducted in collaboration with Fiji MoF and USP-SAGEONS.
3.5.	Regional roadmap for achieving SDG 14 in PICs is drafted in collaboration with training participants.

Output 4

4.1.	Human network of training participants is established.
4.2.	Results from training courses are evaluated in collaboration with SDG 14 training committee and training participants.
4.3.	Regional roadmap for achieving SDG 14 in PICs are drafted based on results from 4-1 and 4-2.
4.4.	Regional roadmap for achieving SDG 14 in PICs are reviewed by SDG 14 training committee.

Inputs

[Japanese side]

1. JICA expert
   1.1. Two Long-term experts: One Chief Advisor / Expert (Marine Resource Management) and One Expert (Training Management) / Coordinator
   1.2. Short-term experts: Some Japanese trainers
2. Trainings
   2.1. In-country trainings in Fiji
   2.2. Third-country trainings in PICs
   2.3. Trainings in Japan including long-term trainings
3. Equipment
   3.1. Training materials
4. Budget

Inputs

[Fiji side]

1. Counterpart personnel
   1.1. Counterpart personnel in Fiji
   1.2. Counterparts personnel in USP-SAGEONS
2. Facilities
   2.1. Office space in Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji
   2.2. Office space in USP-SAGEONS
   2.3. Training space
3. Equipment
   3.1. Training materials
4. Budgets
   4.1. Budgets for trainings