What we do – Fair Fishing

FRESH FISH VALUE CHAIN: Cool, Clean & Tasty

To obtain sustainability of the growing fishery sector, FairFishing today works with development of the whole fish value chain, from sea to consumer.

We aim to address the remaining gaps in the chain, from fishing at sea, to station, distribution, markets, shops and home to the consumer, in order to create better living in the Horn of Africa.

To encourage Cool, Clean & Tasty fish, the training program “Fresh Fish on the Dish” was developed and executed in 2018 by Global Health & Sustainability expert Carolina Obara and world-famous Chef Kamilla Seidler, who trained local chefs, fish vendors, fishers and women householders in processing-, utilising- and preparing fish. The program is now run and trained by local employees, and have developed to several simple concepts within market development & public awareness:

Fresh Fish on the Dish

15 participants

7 hours

3 modules (how to keep fresh fish Cool, Clean & Tasty)

Fresh Fish fo a New Generation

25 students

3 days

3 modules (Interactive theory, market visit & poems)

All Taste, No Waste

200+ participants

1 day

3 core tracks (No Waste, All Taste, Fish Soups)

Fish Feast

1 tutorial

1 fish receipt

3 minutes

reaching millions on media

Berbera – FairFishing Centre of Excellence

Our first fish station in Somaliland, established in 2013.
Financially self-sufficient and locally managed by 10 local employees since 2017.
35 users (partners) of the station’s facilities (fishers, skippers, boat owners) employ approximately 400-500 seasonal employees.
200.000+ KG fish registered in 2018.
The market price on fish has more than doubled since FairFishing started in 2013. It is currently around 4 USD/KG.
400.000 USD in monthly turnover among our partners from sales at local markets.
Going from no available ice in 2013, to approx. 83.000 KG of ice sold/month only in the station.
A shop (Partner Supply Unit) selling affordable fishing gear and equipment to local fishers.
Boat and engine workshop opened in 2018 – the first of its kind along the long Somali coastline.

Income, livelihood and nutrition through a fishery-based economy in the Horn of Africa

2016-2019, FairFishing implemented an EU funded program aiming to create job and business opportunities by strengthening the physical infrastructure of the fishery and the access to markets.

Key results

4 coastal fishery stations with ice and cold storage – Saylac, Buluhar, Laasqorey & Garacaad
3 in-land fish markets – Burco, Galkayo & Qardho
1 boat & engine workshop – Berbera
trainings in fishing, facility operations, organisation, business management and marketing

Why is FairFishing working to build up fishery in the Horn of Africa?

The sea is full of fish. There are 450 commercial species in Somali waters, and fish is an un-utilized resource with large economic and nutritional potential. According to FAO, the sustainable potential for fishery is approx. 200.000 tons per year. In 2013, local fishers caught less than 15.000 tons.
Severe droughts endanger the main economic base of livestock and generates food insecurity. Severe droughts the last years have killed vast amounts of the livestock, an important industry and national revenue , as well as the main food source. Fishing is limited and fish consumption is one of the lowest in the world.
Unemployment is wide – especially among young. The average income is approx. 315 EURO per year. Among young men, the unemployment rate is approx. 60-70%. Half of the population is under 18 years old.
Piracy and criminality has been an issue along the coastline, and only by addressing it at its root causes can it be solved sustainably.

In sum, a paradox situation with a hungry population, people longing for jobs and a sea full of fish. Here, fishing is a simple solution.

Fisheries is now being prioritised in the National Plans and goals of the region. FairFishing is committed to supporting the development of the sector, in close cooperation with the governments and local authorities.