Job Description

Title: Senior Consultant (Artisanal Fisheries Management)- ECOFISH II

Company Name: WorldFish

Vacancy: 01

Job Location: Dhaka

Employment Status: Contractual

Educational Requirements:
∎ Master in Natural Resource Management, Marine Science, Fisheries or relevant subjects from an accredited university. A PhD in the relevant field will be given preference.

Job Context:
∎ About the Position:
∎ Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh II (ECOFISH II) is an ongoing project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Jointly implemented by WorldFish and the Department of Fisheries (DOF), ECOFISH II activity has been built upon the previous work of the original ECOFISH-BD project focused on conservation of hilsa shad and other coastal biodiversity in the Meghna River ecosystem. ECOFISH II is scaling up lessons learned from the previous project while expanding interventions for improving the livelihoods of fishing communities and enhancing biodiversity conservation in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) for sustainable artisanal fisheries. The ongoing conservation activities in the lower Meghna sanctuaries and the improved management of the Nijhum Dwip marine protected area (MPA) remain as integral parts of the current activity.
∎ The ECOFISH II activity wants to offer an exciting opportunity to the qualified candidate(s) to work on developing an Artisanal Fisheries Management Plan (AFMP) for the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh to sustainably manage marine fisheries resources and improve the livelihoods of thousands of fishers who relied on these resources.
∎ Small-scale artisanal fisheries contribute 84% of the total marine catch that significantly provides food and income to the coastal fishing communities in Bangladesh. However, the coastal and marine resources of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) are under significant anthropogenic pressure, predominantly due mostly to the indiscriminate fishing practices and pollution, and partly due to poor management practices. In addition to that the small-scale fisheries now compete for resources and access rights with other resource users like large-scale commercial fisheries. The main challenges are the lack of infrastructures, access to services and markets, post-harvest loss, lack of access to formal financial services and weak organizations. The absence of a robust and holistic management plan and the lower number of existing workforces and logistic supports together make it difficult to manage such a vast coastal water resources and their human component. While thousands of fishermen depend upon these open access resources to make their living, managing the resources without a proper management plan and guidelines would be equally impractical. Thus, the primary objective of this assignment is to provide critical insights into the current status of small- scale artisanal fisheries with particular emphasis on its various management scenarios for improving the understanding of this fisheries. The insights can be helpful to develop an artisanal fisheries management plan to achieve SDG 14 targets by 2030- Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
∎ Eligibility, Location and Duration:
∎ The successful consultant will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh with extensive field visit if requires. The selection of consultant will be based on the relevant qualification and experience and the most competitive proposal. The interviews are expected to be held in September 2021 and only shortlisted consultant will be notified and expected to attend the interview. The successful consultant should be available to commence the consultancy contract for a maximum of forty-five (45) working days tentatively from 1 October 2021 till 25 December 2021.

Job Responsibilities:
∎ Collate all the available information on challenges, opportunities and threats that the small-scale artisanal fisheries face in the coastal and marine ecosystems of Bangladesh.
∎ Review the existing policies, laws, rules, acts, strategies, management plans, and international legal instruments on marine fisheries management with particular emphasis on the small-scale artisanal fisheries in Bangladesh.
∎ Identify the status of the artisanal fisheries in the country emphasizing the boat size, engine power, gear use, as well as the division and structure of the fishers in the artisanal fisheries sector.
∎ Identify the various stakeholders of the small-scale artisanal fisheries with complexes and challenges to offer the management practices.
∎ Identify the current status of marine artisanal catch, post-harvest scenario, and analyze the benefit the distribution and wages at the different levels of the value chains.
∎ Understand the power dynamics within the marine fisheries value chain and identify the pros and cons of the informal financial services (dadon) and suggest the alternate financial services for getting rid of the age-old dadon system.
∎ Identify the major coastal and marine fishing areas for artisanal fishers of the country including the landing centers, and suggest possible interventions for their improvement.
∎ Identify the alternate livelihood options/alternative income generating activities that can reduce the fishing pressure and improve the resilience of fishing communities.
∎ Identify the possible ways of ensuring the access rights of the currently marginalized small scale fishers (women and men) to coastal-marine ecosystem goods and services with a focus on SDG14b.
∎ Explore the capacity building initiatives in implementing the voluntary SSF guidelines at national level with particular emphasis on SDG14.b and integrate them into legal frameworks.
∎ Develop an inclusive management and governance framework for small-scale artisanal coastal and marine fisheries in light of future blue economic growth of the country.
∎ Deliverables:
∎ Report on the "Artisanal Marine Fisheries Management Plan for Bangladesh" focusing on the potentials, challenges and threats for its future management.

Additional Requirements:
∎ This consultancy is open for National Consultant with the following skill and qualification:
∎ Professional experience and knowledge about coastal and marine fisheries of the Bay of Bengal.
∎ Ability to analyze and synthesize technical fisheries information or data both in writing and in communications.
∎ Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to communicate complicated messages authoritatively and succinctly to different organizations particularly funding and implementing bodies.
∎ Excellent time management skills, ability to effectively manage multiple task and initiative to be productive during waiting periods.
∎ Prior working experience in Bangladesh fisheries and the marine fisheries sector would be an added advantage.
∎ Having VAT registration number is mandatory.

Job Source: Bdjobs.com Online Job Posting.

Application Deadline: 24 Sep 2021

Company Information:
∎ 13 Sep 2021
∎ WorldFish
∎ Business : WorldFish is an international, nonprofit research organization that harnesses the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce hunger and poverty. Globally, more than one billion people obtain most of their animal protein from fish and approximately 800 million depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods.
Utilizing its scientific expertise, its networks and partnerships, and an innovative `research in development` approach, WorldFish increases the productivity and sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture and improves the lives of poor people who rely on them.
WorldFish is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

Category: NGO/Development

Source: bdjobs.com

More jobs of WorldFish