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Another Milestone under ADB Financed Fisheries Program for Aceh and Nias Reached

Banda Aceh, INDONESIA - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias (BRR) handed over four 20 gross-ton (gt) fishing vessels to fishermen from Aceh Utara district on 8 April 2008. ADB through the Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project (ETESP) is providing $2.8 million in financing for the replacement of a total of 126 boats to fisherfolk groups in Aceh and Nias, varying in size from 5 gt to 20 gt. The vessels are also equipped with fishing gear. BRR is the implementing agency for this program.

Head of ADB's Extended Mission in Sumatera (EMS) office, Pieter Smidt, says that, "Fishing has been and will remain an important source for livelihood for numerous communities on the coast of Aceh and Nias. I am therefore pleased that ETESP's fisheries component is not only addressing the immediate need of replacing lost assets such as fishing vessels but also
giving priority to opportunities for improvement of and modernization in the fisheries sector as a whole."

The vessels are built in boat yards throughout Aceh and Nias. The design of the boats includes special features to make the boats suitable for the local conditions which ensures higher level of ownership by the fisherfolk. Special attention has been paid in the procurement of the timber to build the boats, such as requiring suppliers to produce the certificate of origin.

According to Zulhamsyah Imran, BRR's Director of Program Implementation for Economic and Enterprise Development, building the boats in Aceh ensure that local communities are empowered and their labor supply utilized. "What is also important is that if the vessels need maintenance in the future, it can be done close by, thus minimizing costs."

Some of the bigger boats are equipped with global positioning system (GPS) to assist fisherfolk in identifying and recording prospective fishing locations as well as hazards and, also important, for safety reasons in cases where rescue missions need to identify their location. To optimize the function of the GPS installed, ADB is also financing the plotting of underwater hazards onto marine charts for the wider use of fisherfolk. This plotting work is being organized by BRR's Spatial Information and Mapping Centre working together with Panglima Laut, the organization representing the local fishing community and its interests.

The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) is assisting BRR in the implementation of the ETESP fisheries component. "The future of the fishing industry in Aceh depends on the better organization of the people involved so that they can supply the needs of the local, national and global markets, and capitalize on the high values of quality fish products whilst improving management of the resources by themselves, for themselves and future generations" says Richard Coutts, NACA's Team Leader. "We are contributing advice on how to put the correct policies, processes and systems for the sector in place".

ADB is providing $32 million overall to rehabilitate the fisheries sector in Aceh and Nias, focusing on recovery of both capture and farmed fish sub-sectors. By the end of 2008, ETESP will have replaced 16 fish landing places, 3 fish markets, 10 fuel depots or stores and 4 ice factories. A total of 232 fisherfolk community groups have also received livelihood grants, totaling around $4.64 million, to improve their livelihoods through activities planned according to their own priorities. In similar ways, ETESP fisheries program is also supporting the rebuilding of the aquaculture sub-sector. It is intended that eventually the assets delivered will be managed through better systems addressing the whole system from production through to marketing.

The assistance is part of a $291 million ADB grant to the Government of Indonesia that is helping to rebuild the areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami disasters. ADB's multi-sector assistance package covers agriculture, fisheries, irrigation, micro and small enterprise development, housing, water and sanitation, health, education, transport, power, spatial planning and environmental management, and fiduciary oversight. In addition, ADB has contributed a $10 million grant to the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members - 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.

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