Beau Vallon, Seychelles – 28–29 July 2025
A regional workshop was held in Seychelles, to advance the establishment of the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Training and Extension Network (SWIO-FTEN). The event brought together fisheries authorities, universities, vocational training institutions, extension service providers, regional development partners, and industry representatives from across the SWIO region.

The two-day workshop was organised with the support of the IOC- ECOFISH Programme funded by the European Union, under Result 1.4. It aimed to establish a clear, coordinated foundation for the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Training and Extension Network (SWIO-FTEN). 

Workshop Objectives

Through two days of stakeholder consultation and consensus building, the event focused on four main objectives:

  1. Validation of Consultancy Findings:
    Reviewing the draft inventory and capacity analysis of vocational and academic training institutions and extension services in the region.
  2. Consensus Building:
    Agreeing on the structure, functions, and strategic instruments needed for SWIO-FTEN.
  3. Identification of Gaps:
    Highlighting the need for accreditation and certification frameworks, sustainable financing models, gender and youth inclusion strategies, and monitoring and evaluation systems.
  4. Strategising Immediate Priorities:
    Defining actionable steps, including the piloting of training modules and establishment of innovation hubs, promoting inclusive participation, and developing hybrid financing approaches.

The workshop achieved the following results:

  • Agreement on SWIO-FTEN as a collaborative regional platform to strengthen human resource development, professionalise extension services, and harmonise training standards.
  • Alignment with the Eastern and Southern Africa Sustainable Fisheries & Blue Economy Coordination Platform (ESA-SFBE-CP), which serves as the ECOFISH Programme’s legacy framework.
  • Validation of Strategic Instruments, including:
    • Accreditation and certification frameworks
    • Gender and youth inclusion strategies
    • Hybrid financing models
    • Monitoring and evaluation systems
  • Immediate priorities identified:
    • Development of pilot training modules (e.g., sustainable fishing practices, post-harvest handling, value addition, business management, and digital literacy)
    • Creation of innovation hubs
    • Use of a WhatsApp group for stakeholder coordination
    • Strengthening of data systems for evidence-based planning

Next Steps

The finalisation of the consultancy report will incorporate workshop recommendations. A phased implementation roadmap will guide the roll-out of SWIO-FTEN. The first phase will focus on governance and institutional setup, including the formation of a regional steering committee, development of an institutional inventory, and the piloting of training modules.

Subsequent phases will focus on network expansion, innovation hub establishment, and integration with research and economic analysis tools under the ESA-SFBE-CP.