Fisheries sector employment survey & identify method for routine employment monitoring

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Selection based on the Consultant’s Qualifications

Employment Study and Capacity Needs Assessment for the Fisheries Sector in Seychelles

1.INTRODUCTION

Seychelles is a small island state endowed with a rich biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial. Fisheries and tourism sectors are the two main pillars of the economy. The fisheries industry accounts for a significant portion of gross domestic product but is also of considerable social, cultural and nutritional importance to the country. The sector accounts for an estimated 90% of total annual export revenues for Seychelles with more than SCR 4 billion worth of fisheries product exported annually. To maintain growth in the fisheries sector, focus is being placed on improved opportunities in post-harvesting and service sectors, aimed at increasing employment and returns without placing limited resources under greater pressure.

In terms of fisheries, the Ministry of Fisheries & Agriculture (MFAg) and the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) are the principal public bodies, overseeing policy, management, development, research and capacity building in the Seychelles. SFA is the executive arm of the government for fisheries and was created in August 1984 by the Seychelles Fishing Authority (Establishment) Act. The Fisheries Act of 2014 is the primary legislation governing the fisheries sector of the Seychelles. This mandate is further enshrined in national policies, notably the Fisheries Policy (2005) and, more recently, the Seychelles National Agriculture Investment Plan (2016-2020) and the Seychelles National Aquaculture Policy (2018).

The fisheries sector has grown substantially since the 1980’s, driven primarily by the development of the Indian Ocean purse seine tuna fishery that uses Port Victoria as the regional hub for landings and transshipment. Important fisheries in Seychelles currently include: the industrial purse seine tuna fishery that lands to the canning factory, or transships, in Port Victoria for canned tuna markets in Europe; the artisanal line, trap and net fisheries supplying fresh finfish for mainly domestic markets; the semi-industrial longline fishery producing fresh tuna and swordfish for domestic and export markets; the sea cucumber fishery supplying processed product to Asian markets, and small invertebrate fisheries for mainly local markets. There are many opportunities in expanding the sector, especially in post-harvesting activities and services, whereby more diversified, value-adding companies can be created. Furthermore, with the planned development of the aquaculture sector, increasing prospects are being created for highly skilled labour markets.

In 2005, a study identified that approximately 1,750 persons were directly involved in fishing activities on a full time basis, with another 3,930 being involved in processing, including 2,500 workers at the Indian Ocean Tuna (IOT) canning factory. A study performed by OECD in 2013 estimated that fisheries and related sectors employed between 5,000 and 6,000 people, representing around 11 percent of total formal employment, and thus providing a similar employment estimate to the 2005 study, in spite of significant growth in production since that time. A report by the Department of the Blue Economy in 2018 assessed the level of employment in industrial tuna fishing and related activities, rather than the entire sector, but still estimated that around 6,900 people were employed. Previous studies are known to have overestimated employment, especially given the sector is characterized by significant casual labour. For example, estimates of fishing vessel crew based on the number of vessels and average crew size overestimates employment because crew members move between vessels on a regular basis.

It has also been observed that the sector is experiencing a growing influx of foreign workers, beyond the traditional reliance on foreign labour at IOT and in the purse seine tuna fishery. Notably, foreign crew onboard local vessels in the semi-industrial fishery have increased and foreign labour is increasingly used by other seafood processors. Therefore, a systematic process to collect data that differentiates between local and foreign workers in the fisheries sector is necessary for understanding change in the fisheries economy, given that expatriates labour causes pressure on wages and losses to the economy due to remittances. Monitoring will also enable labour issues and rights of expatriate workers to be examined.

Due to these discrepancies or inaccuracies, and with a view to guiding further investment in the sector and identifying human resource capacity needs, the fisheries administration requires a comprehensive, up-to-date and more robust estimate of employment in the fisheries sector. There is also a need to establish standardised and cost-effective methods for routinely capturing employment information, as well as other important parameters such as wages, to enable more regular statistical reporting, including for the calculation of the national accounts and fisheries satellite account.

The Seychelles Fishing Authority is now recruiting a firm to undertake this assignment.

2.OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the consultancy are to:

• Identify the level of employment and wages earned in the fisheries and fisheries related sector.

• Determine the relative importance based on individual international standard industrial classification of all economic activities (ISIC) and including relative contribution to public finances, accounting for losses due to foreign labour employment, of the fisheries and fishery-related sectors compared to other sectors.

• To determine the human capacity needs of the industry so as to better understand the obstacles that inhibit its agents from realising their development goals.

• Devise a formal statistical approach for deriving employment-related information systematically, which could serve as basis to monitor changes over time and potential consequences of changes in national or international fisheries policy.

3.SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

• Identify the main stakeholders, such as public sector agencies, private companies, NGOs, civil society associations, boat owners and other activities related to fisheries, including service providers to the fisheries sector.

• Devise a statistically robust employment survey and data collection methods which must be validated by a steering committee established to oversee this assignment. The survey should be disaggregated (e.g. by age, sex, nationality and level of educational attainment) and focus on the main actors in fisheries sector value chains (i.e. processing, marketing, distribution, provisioning, port services etc.).

• Develop a survey database and methods for data analysis compatible with existing databases held by the fisheries administration.

• Recruit and train data collection personnel.

• Perform a pilot test on the survey and data collection methods and adjust the methods as required.

• Carry out the survey according to the survey plan and methods and within the planned timeframe and populate the survey database, carrying out data validation and verification.

• Analyse the data to assess the level of employment and average earnings in the fisheries and fishery-related sectors for individual ISICs and compare among fisheries sub-sectors (e.g. industrial longline and purse seine, semi-industrial longline, artisanal fisheries, IOT, other value chain actors) as well as with other sectors. Where available, reconcile with other sources of information.

• Determine the proportion of foreign and non-foreign workers for the different fisheries and fishery-related activities of the sector and provide short and mid-term projections of capacity issues through human capacity modelling.

• Identify the main labour and gender issues for the different components of the sector, including those stemming from increases in foreign labour.

• Identify challenges and solutions for domestic and foreign labour recruitment to the fisheries sector and related activities.

• Examine any trend in employment by comparing the survey results with previous surveys undertaken.

• Determine the human capacity needs of the different fisheries and fishery-related activities based on trends and anticipated developments.

• Make recommendations and identify approaches for the systematic collection of employment data in the sector.

• Provide policy and legislation recommendations relating to the results of the study including the capacity needs of the fisheries and fishery-related sectors.

• Develop non-technical diagrams and infographics detailing the key results of the study for reporting to stakeholders and decision-makers.

• Produce a draft report consisting of the detailed findings.

• Through workshops and consultations, undertake stakeholder validation of survey results, analysis and recommendations.

• Based on stakeholder validation, produce a final report.

4.DELIVERABLES

The main deliverables of this assignment are:

• An inception report outlining a detailed work plan for the consultancy, preliminary schedule of consultative meetings and workshops, agreed methods for the implementation of the study, and identification of key stakeholders/activities.

• A technical report detailing the survey methods and database structure including a short technical manual for operation and updating of the survey database.

• Monthly progress reports during data collection and analysis.

• A final draft report for comments including but not limited to:

• The number of people working and average wages separated by age, sex, nationality, education level, full-time/part-time, for each of fisheries and fishery-related sectors

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