ANNEX 12
PROPOSED PROGRAMME DESIGN FOR PHASE III

Objectives

Development objectives: to increase cash income and/ or food security in rural communities achieved through:

1. the production of fish from small-scale aquaculture integrated with the communities' prevailing agricultural production patterns, and

2. the enhancement of fish production coupled with community-based management procedures for small water bodies.

Intermediate objectives: the adoption in the targeted communities of feasible fish culture practices, introduced and supported through local institutions involved in rural development funded by national or international sources.

Immediate objectives:

1. the provision of fish culture practices and management procedures, which have been tested and demonstrated in pilot projects to be--simultaneously--technically, economically and socially feasible for the target communities identified

2. national and local institutions capable of promoting among small-holder farmers, farmers' groups of both genders, fish culture practices and management procedures developed under the Programme.

Beneficiaries: The primary beneficiaries will be the extension and/or fisheries cadre who will receive training on fish culture practices, fish production enhancement techniques and management procedures. This cadre will in turn train other counterparts. The ultimate beneficiaries are smallholder farmers, farmer's groups of both genders and villagers surrounding small water bodies.

Major Outputs and Activities

The Programme will consist of the core management and two specific projects.

Core Management

It will address the overall management of the Programme and information dissemination in the region, including feedback information between activities.

Output 1. Programme planning and management in consultation with countries concerned.

Activity 1. Agreement on the Programme's planning procedures; specifically: implementation, budgeting and disbursement, progress reports and supervision responsibilities among FAO, donors and participating countries.

Output 2. Dissemination of aquaculture information

Activity 1. Publication of a quarterly newsletter: ALCOM News. Determine adequate format and target audiences to stimulate debate and discussion on development issues. Maintenance and updating of ALCOM's library so that it becomes a regional network for documentation and database.

Activity 2. Coordinate preparation and publication of technical reports and other information resulting from Programme activities.

PROJECT 1: Integrated small-scale aquaculture with small-holder farming

The primary beneficiaries are extension cadre who in turn will train other extension agents. The ultimate beneficiaries are small-holder farmers and farmers groups of both genders because this project intends to benefit, primarily, farming communities.

Output 1. Identification of pilot projects and national/local collaborating institutions

Activity 1. Three pilot project areas in three different countries in the region will be identified based on the criteria of highest potential of success. This will include physical potential, prevailing tendency to agricultural diversification, and national priority from the national planning standpoint. The choice of the initial participants is vital because some of them should have the potential to become fingerling producers. Likewise, the collaborating institution should be a governmental organization capable of absorbing and disseminating the project outputs among the ultimate beneficiaries. These should ensure sustainability.

Activity 2. Identification with the collaborating institutions of the implementing agencies for all or some components of the pilot projects. These agencies should not be necessarily circumscribed to the public or private sectors but should have proven experience in extension/awareness training efforts among smallholder and farmers' groups of both genders.

Activity 3. The actual design of the pilot projects will be conducted jointly between the Programme technical staff, the implementing agency and the targeted farming community and/or farmers' groups. Every effort should be made on the part of the Programme staff to ensure the effective participation of the implementing agency and targeted population during the design stage.

Output 2. Feasible fish culture practices integrated with smallholder farming.

Activity 1. For each pilot project selected, the Programme technical staff, the implementing agency and the targeted population--jointly--will diagnose the prevalent agricultural production patterns. The community's needs will be prioritized. In this context, the “fit” of fish culture should be calibrated. Fish culture should be feasible, simultaneously, from the standpoint of the economy, the society and the environment. The activity should result in a technological package. Activity 2. The resulting technological package will be tested among participating farmers in each pilot project area. The implementing agency will monitor these farmer managed trials and modify the package accordingly. This should end in a technological package ready for delivery to users.

Activity 3. The tested technological package will be used for the training of extension agents in the pilot area and adjacent areas. The collaborating institution will start integrating this technological package into the national system of agricultural extension.

Output 3. Establishment of small-scale fingerling production centres Activity 1. For each of the pilot project areas suitable species for small-scale fingerling production will be identified in terms of physical conditions and farmers with motivation and means to conduct this activity. For those interested farmers training courses should be carried out on technical matters of fingerling production together with marketing. This is a key activity to ensure sustainability.

Activity 2. In connection with the previous activity, Programme technical staff should provide technical advice to national fish farms on broodstock management.

Output 4. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Procedures

Activity 1. From the onset of the joint planning stage, M&E procedures will be implemented to follow up the results of the extension efforts for management purposes.

Activity 2. M&E procedures for extension efforts have been available for some time. It will only be necessary to adapt one of these methods to the specific conditions of each of the pilot project areas. See: World Bank (1988) Technical Paper No. 79; World Bank (1977) Staff Working Paper 272.

PROJECT 2: ENHANCEMENT OF FISH PRODUCTION COUPLED WITH COMMUNITY-BASED MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR SMALL WATER BODIES

The primary beneficiaries are extension and/or fisheries cadre who in turn will train counterpart cadres. The ultimate beneficiaries are the villagers surrounding small water bodies, some small holder and farmers groups of both genders.

Output 1. Information Base for Management and Enhancement

Activity 1. Consolidate available information on reservoirs, tenure regimes and relevant demographic indicators for a regional data base. Gather missing information and set up procedures to periodically update the data base.

Activity 2. Analyze basic parameters of data base in terms of : fishery potential, feasible methods for enhancement of production, guidelines for the application of enhancement methods, environmental conditions and review tenure regimes in terms of their potential for the application of these methods.

Output 2. Improved utilization of fishery resources through appropriate exploitation

Activity 1. Consolidate inventory of local gears and gear legislation in the region. Investigate selectivity of existing gear through catch data as to species composition and sizes and compare with actual species composition in the reservoirs.

Activity 2. From results obtained, advise on gear regulations in relation to potential yield and for training for extension and fisheries officers, community organizations and the like.

Output 3. Pen and cage culture system

Activity 1. Complete testing of the technical, biological and economic feasibility of cage and pen culture initiated in Zimbabwe. Based on results, design economically feasible packages using local materials for delivery to users.

Output 4. Increased production through stocking

Activity 1. The impact of restocking the major fished tilapia species into reservoirs, which had been refilled with water after complete drying up, will be assessed in terms of abundance and fish catches in ten selected reservoirs in Zimbabwe.

Activity 2. Based on low potential yields due to empty niches, tests will be conducted for optimum stocking rates and level of fish catches of stocking one or more nonpredatory species (e.g. Cyprinus carpioand Oreochromis niloticus). The reservoirs for testing in the region will be selected in terms of tenure regimes with potential to community-based management. From the results, guidelines for users will be prepared for reservoir stocking strategy.

Activity 3. Under similar selection procedures as the previous activity, reservoirs in the region will be chosen with high unfished populations of Barbus paludinosus, or other small pelagic, for tests of optimum stocking rates and level of fish catches of stocking one predatory species in each group. Overall species abundance, impact on fish catches and other economic indicators will be monitored. From the results guidelines for users will be prepared for reservoir stocking strategy.

Output 5. Community-based enhancement management

Activity 1. Complete tests of the community-based management of public reservoirs in Zimbabwe. From the results prepare guidelines for users.

Activity 2. Based on tenure regimes with the potential for some type of community-based management arrangement in the region, replicate the results of the previous activity to refine the methodology. From the results, prepare guidelines for users.

Output 6. Improved capability to register introduction of species through regional collaboration.

Activity 1. Based on available information and supplementary studies, establish a register of species introduction in the region. Through the ALCOM News and other networks, establish the ground work for a code of practice regarding the introduction and transfer of exotic species in the region, for consideration by member countries.

INPUTS

What follows is an estimate of the major input components concerning personnel, provided by donors and governments, funds for subcontracting implementing agencies, national experts, materials and supplies. In the end, the choice of implementing modalities and location of pilot projects will determine the actual inputs needed.

Contribution by Governments

1. The host government will provide office accommodations for the Programme's headquarters.

2. The participating governments will provide:

   • direct contributions to the core management (to be determined) and

   • counterpart staff for training, facilities and other recurrent costs.

3. It will be necessary that participating governments enter into an agreement with the Programme to ensure that the personnel trained continues, for at least 4 years, with the activities for which they received training.

Donor Contribution

(1) International and national staff:

This project can be executed according to two modalities:

Option A The Programme Team (PT) starts up activities jointly with national counterparts. From Year 2 onwards, the PT will commence phasing off and national counterparts will progressively take over activities. During Year 3, the PT will take an advisory position and prepare jointly guidelines and alternative work plans for activities after phase off. The intensive joint participation between PT and national teams is likely to ensure sustainability.

Option B This requires considerable national commitment and the use of an implementing agency. The PC jointly with the national counterpart and implementing agency will start up activities. During Year 2 the PC commences phasing off and the implementing agency progressively takes control of activities. At the end of Year 2 the PC phases off. During Year 3 the implementing agency commences p hasing off so that by the end Year 4 the national counterpart takes over all activities. During Year 4 the implementing agency takes an advisory role and prepares jointly guidelines and alternative work plans for activities after project phase off.

Consultants The core management will require additional national/international consultants in specialized disciplines such as environment and legislation.

Other Donors contribution will include some administrative support, required studies, training, travel, materials, equipment, vehicles and other ancillary equipment.