Towards Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries Development in the Kyrgyz Republic PHASE II Project funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Executing agency Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
PROGRAMME PERIOD: 2014 2017 TARGET COUNTRIES: BUDGET: FINANCING: EXECUTING AGENCY: The Kyrgyz Republic 1.5 million Euros Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Programme Context Towards Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries Development in the Kyrgyz Republic will be implemented in 2014-2017 to build institutional and local capacity to contribute towards sustainable development of aquaculture and capture fisheries in the Kyrgyz Republic. Fish production through aquaculture and fisheries play an important role in food and nutritional security, right to food and livelihood enhancement, particularly in rural areas. In this context the most immediate contribution that aquaculture and fisheries can make is to relieve hunger directly through the provision of food and providing a source of employment and income generation for food purchase. The intended project outputs support the Strategic Objectives one and two of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to Help Eliminate Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition, and, to Make Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries more Productive and Sustainable. The project also promotes the element of the Green Economy Partnership Programme of the Finland Government Regional Development Cooperation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 2014-2017. The project focus is directly in line with the national development priorities of agriculture sector in the Kyrgyz Republic, in which fisheries is a sub-sector, to contribute to the right to food, improve food and nutritional security and strengthen rural development. The First Phase of the Project was implemented in 2009 2013. The Project a) organised fisheries associations to promote participation of farmers and fisherfolks in management and development of aquaculture and fisheries;
b) improved technical skills among 1028 fish farmers, fishers, technical officers, academics and researchers on fish farming practices and fisheries management; c) established two private-public partnerships to promote primary fish processing; d) determined biodiversity indices and radiation levels in fish and water in Issyk-Kul lake; e) informed the debate with science-based advice and technical inputs on the fishing moratorium in Issyk-Kul Lake to end the 10-year moratorium; f) formed the fisheries research laboratory at the Institute of Biology enabling joint research work between the relevant institutions; g) validated procedure to develop fisheries and aquaculture policy and the draft fisheries and aquaculture policy; h) developed the draft resolution on the establishment of fisheries co-management committees for main lakes and reservoirs; i) published environmental impact assessment guidelines and procedure for FISHERIES INFORMATION IN ISSYK-KUL LAKE
aquaculture and regional principles for responsible aquaculture in Central Asia, and countrywide survey results on fish marketing and consumption with recommendations to stakeholders to improve fish market supply chain; and j) carried out a campaign to promote fish consumption. The interventions had an impact on the growth of fish farms by 160% (53 to 138) in project areas and national fish production by 90% (345 tonnes to 654 tonnes) between 2011 and 2013, commencement of farm-made aquafeed production by farmers The Second Phase (2014-2017) is designed on the strengths built by the first phase and features scaling up and sustaining the outputs delivered by the First Phase. Beneficiaries and stakeholders Several tiers of stakeholders benefit from Phase II directly and indirectly. Key direct beneficiaries at individual and civil society level are aquaculture farmers and potential farmers, inland fisher folks including rural and disadvantaged communities and fisheries associations. Women in the fish farming community will benefit from gender sensitive aquaculture technologies. Rural communities associated with inland water resources in project areas will benefit from improved options to enhance livelihoods. Social capital will be improved through participatory management and access to inland water resources and human capital through improved knowledge. At institutional level government line agencies, Kyrgyz National Agrarian University and local administrations in the project areas and researchers, scientists, academics and resource managers belong to them will benefit directly. Central as well as local level resource managers will have the benefit with technical and high potential strategy options to support the ecosystem approach to lake and reservoir management and conservation. Improved
knowledge on participatory planning, resource and constraint assessment, integrated water resource management, and environmental awareness will help them to adopt better management practices of fishery resources. At institutional level government line agencies, Kyrgyz National Agrarian University and local administrations in the project areas and researchers, scientists, academics and resource managers belong to them will benefit directly. Central as well as local level resource managers will have the benefit with technical and high potential strategy options to support the ecosystem approach to lake and reservoir management and conservation. Improved knowledge on participatory planning, resource and constraint assessment, integrated water resource management, and environmental awareness will help them to adopt better management practices of fishery resources. As an indirect benefit, NGOs and civil societies have the opportunity to participate in managing and conserving the natural aquatic resource capital and disseminating good management practices. Outcome and Outputs: The project supports to build institutional and local capacity to contribute towards sustainable development of aquaculture and capture fisheries in the Kyrgyz Republic and specifically in Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad provinces. This outcome will be realized by implementing the following five project components. 1. Establish mini hatcheries to demonstrate decentralization of fish seed production and supply networks to reach remote and potential areas; 2. Develop a functioning fish feed production and supply mechanism through small fish feed mills; 3. Build scientific capacity in fisheries research and develop fish yield predicting models for monitoring of fish stocks; 4. Train and adequately orient counterpart personnel who can catalyze the sustainable development of aquaculture and management of ecosystem services of lakes and reservoirs; 5. Improve curriculum on aquaculture and fisheries in the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University to strengthen human resource base; and 6. Organize a network of extension services system with the participation of government, fisheries associations, farmers and entrepreneurs in the industry with its services to reach the rural areas.
Tel: +996 312 62 37 33 Fax:+996 312 62 37 26 Mail: FAO-KG@fao.org Web:www.supporttofishery.org Photo Library of FAO in the Kyrgyz Republic Layout Innocorp Oy Printing by Erweko Oy