The “Barr Aman” Initiative provides financial assistance and protective equipment to small fishing boats in Egypt – Egypt participated in a high-level conference organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in cooperation with the European Union and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and animal rights In Malta under the theme “Sustainable Fisheries and aquaculture initiatives in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Transformative measures to meet new challenges“, where the challenges facing the fishing sector in the Mediterranean countries were discussed, such as the seasonal nature of the sector’s work, the control of small-scale fisheries over the fishing sector by 97%, most of them in rural areas, and women represent 50% of the total employment, which work informally, in addition to the low production of natural fisheries and the lack of Occupational Safety and health in the work environment.
The Egyptian experience in enhancing social protection and solidarity in the fishing workers sector was presented, as well as the results achieved by the Presidential Initiative “Barr Aman” in safety to care for small fishermen along the Nile River and Egyptian lakes, where the initiative helped thousands of families and provided them with cash assistance in periods of fishing breaks, in addition to financing a large part of the cost of modernizing the fleet of small boats in Egypt and distributing protective equipment and fishing tools for free to small fishermen and fishermen.
The Initiative aims to create an integrated database on fishermen and extend the social protection system for them to include them within the umbrella of social insurance for this category, which has been marginalized for decades without protection measures for them.
The Initiative also targets fishermen and boat owners working along the Nile River, deployed in 16 governorates through which the Nile river passes, by providing them with some fishing equipment and clothing to prevent occupational hazards and cold weather, with a total of 42 thousand fishermen benefiting from the initiative’s services, which include the distribution of fishing supplies from the allowance for protection, prevention and spinning of fishing nets, In addition to replacing dilapidated boats with new boats.
The Initiative includes 5 sub-initiatives, namely (replacement and renovation of fishing boats – repayment of social insurance indebtedness for some defaulting beneficiaries, where the ministry pays half of the contribution for each beneficiary – provision of refrigerated cars to fishermen’s associations to improve the added value of the product – provision of solar cells where implementation will be carried out at the High Dam Lake and Is being planned – establishment of mini fish farms to provide income to fishermen during periods of disruption and the proposal is being studied).
Targeted governorates:
Kafr el-Sheikh, Qalyubia, Monufia, Gharbia, Sharqia, Dakahlia, Ismailia, Cairo, Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Luxor, Aswan.
Creating 5 sub-initiatives:
– Replacement and renovation of fishing boats.
– Repayment of social insurance debt for some defaulting beneficiaries, where the ministry pays half of the contribution for each beneficiary
– Providing refrigerated cars to fishermen’s associations to improve the added value of the product.
– Providing solar cells where the implementation will be carried out at the High Dam Lake and planning Is underway.
– The establishment of mini – fish farms to provide income to fishermen during periods of disruption, and the proposal is being studied.
The “Barr Aman” Initiative provides financial assistance and protective equipment to small fishing boats in Egypt
