The promotion of rapid employment-creation for economic growth and poverty reduction, was addressed in the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), and within this context, the Fourth Fisheries Project aims at supporting sustainable growth in, and equitably distribute the benefits from, increased fisheries production, both for domestic consumption, and, exports. The improvement of livelihoods will alleviate poverty, with additional indirect benefits in health and nutrition.

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http://www.worldbank.org

The formulation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) is one of the main conditions for concessional lending by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to developing countries. Nevertheless, while evidence indicates that the fisheries sector can contribute (often markedly at the local level) to improved livelihoods and the achievement of food security in many developing countries, the sector is often neglected in PRSPs.

This Circular first identifies of 129 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, economies in transition and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) the significance of the fisheries sector as motor of economic growth or likely poverty refuge. Secondly, it examines the extent to which National Development Plans (NDPs), PRSPs, Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) of the European Union and other donor support programmes have presently incorporated the fisheries sector into such documents. Subsequently, a comparison with data indicating the importance of the sector to the national economy (in terms of generating foreign exchange and/or supporting domestic protein consumption levels) enables us to pinpoint those countries with substantive fisheries sectors, but a correspondingly lower than expected degree of sectoral mainstreaming in NDPs, PRSPs and CSPs, and allows us to identify countries which are currently "punching above their weight" in this respect.

Findings are discussed on a regional basis - regional averages suggesting that the sector has been most effectively mainstreamed in Asia (case of PRSPs, NDPs and the World Bank donor support strategies) - closely followed by the African economies and the SIDS. In contrast Latin America, home to two of the top six global fishing nations (Chile and Peru), scores extremely poorly as far as mainstreaming the fisheries sector in PRSPs and NDPs concerns.

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http://www.fao.org

An international team of researchers has proposed a revolutionary strategy for ending the plunder of the world’s coral reefs and destruction of their fish stocks – beating poverty.

In a major study released today of the western Indian Ocean the team shows that reef fisheries are in far better condition where the society is more highly developed or where there is little or no development – than in places where the society is developing.

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http://www.sciencealert.com.au

The UN Development Programme and UN Environment Programme (UNDP-UNEP) Poverty-Environment Initiative has published this Handbook, which is designed to serve as a guide for champions and practitioners engaged in mainstreaming poverty-environment linkages. It draws on experience at the country level and lessons learned by UNDP and UNEP in working with governments, especially ministries of planning, finance and environment, to support efforts to integrate the complex interrelationships between poverty reduction and improved environmental management into national planning and decision-making. French and Spanish translations are currently under preparation and will be made available soon.

Download the handbook
http://www.unpei.org

Making the Economic Case: A Primer on the Economic Arguments for Mainstreaming Poverty-Environment Linkages into National Development Planning

This new primer provides guidance on presenting evidence about the economic, development and poverty reduction benefits of the environment to public sector decision-makers, so as to justify and promote “environmental investment.” This primer is designed to help interested countries and governments engaged in the environmental mainstreaming challenge to succeed in making their case, ensure that they have the evidence to back it up, and identify entry points to engage the attention of economic and development decision-makers and to enter into meaningful dialogue with them.

Download the primer (1.91 MB, PDF)
http://www.unpei.org