Fishing is a highly profitable venture throughout the world, and Somalia has a long coastline of 3300 km, longest coastline in continental Africa with large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) estimated at 825,052–831,000 square kilometres. The fishing sector plays a very important role in the socio-economic development of the country. It is considered a strong driver of income and employment as it stimulates the growth of several sub-industries and is a source of cheap and nutritious food as well as a source of foreign exchange. Above all, however, it is a source of livelihood for a large part of the country’s economically underdeveloped population (Hassan Mohamed Hassan, and Lucy Gichinga 2018).
According to the FAO, the contribution of fisheries to GDP is around 1%, which shows how underdeveloped the sub-sector is. According to the SATG Group report, only about 0.3% of the population depends on fishing for their livelihood. The Somali marine ecosystem, except for the Puntland coast, has few bottom-dwelling fish species or demersal fish species due to the narrow coastal shelf. Large pelagic (highly migratory) species (e.g. tuna), smaller pelagic fish, crustaceans and other reef species live in the EEZ. At 3.1 kg per capita (2009 data), fish consumption in Somalia is the lowest of all African countries. The insignificant local market and years of civil war, which have hampered investment in the fisheries sector, have led to the sub-sector being underdeveloped (UNIDO 2021).
However, the ministry’s data shows that local fishermen using artisanal vessels caught around 6,000 tons in 2022. In contrast, industrial foreign fishing vessels catch an estimated 13,000 tons per year, and this figure may be significantly underestimated. Somalia is seeking to develop its fisheries sector by training and equipping fishermen, improving infrastructure, enforcing regulations to protect marine resources and attracting foreign investment to create jobs, improve the rural economy and generate sustainable export earnings. In recent years, the sector has made tremendous progress.
Now, the importance of the fishery sector within the overall economy is quite small. Exports of fishery products account for around 3% of total exports. Fishery’s share in GDP is about 2%. On average, fish provides less than one gram of protein per caput per day. In the pre-war era, especially in 1989, exports of fishery products earned US$ 15 million per annum. However, the civil war arrested the steady growth of this trade.
Until very recently, Somalia was a net exporter of fish and fish products both in terms of volume and value. In 2009, according to FAO FishStat data, Somalia became a net importer in value: imports represented 1,430 MT valued at approximately US $5.5 million; and exports represented 4,160 MT, valued at approximately US $3.1 million. These figures, however, do not take into consideration significant informal fish trade with neighbouring countries including Djibouti, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Imports are mostly composed of canned tuna. The FAO Fishery Country Profile, 2005, highlighted that in-country fish demand appeared to exceed the supply of domestic fish and fishery products and as a direct consequence, canned fish products were imported, mainly from the Taiwan Province of China and Japan, with local production from the Las Korey canning factory.
Fishtrade balance in Somalia in value (in ‘000 US $)
2014 – Figure 1 – Source FAO FISHTAT J (2002-2009)
Fish Imports by category in Somalia in value (% of $)
2014 – Figure 2 – Source FAO FISHTAT J (2002-2009) – Average period
Fish Exports by category in Somalia in value (% of $)
2014 – Figure 3 – Source FAO FISHTAT J (2002-2009) – Average period
Reference
Hassan Mohamed Hassan, and Lucy Gichinga (2018). INFLUENCE OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MUGADISHU, SOMALIA. International Journal of Novel Research in Interdisciplinary Studies Vol. 5, Issue 4, pp: (11-24), Month: July – August 2018, Available at: www.noveltyjournals.com
UNIDO. (2021). Sub-sector mapping and value chain analysis of the Fishery sub-sector in Somalia Mogadishu, Jan. 14th 2021
