Following complaints that the Federal Government of Somalia failed to ensure adequate consultation with regional states and relevant stakeholders, fisheries officials representing four Somali federal member states have officially announced the suspension of their participation in the formulation of the National Fisheries Stock Assessment Strategy (NFSAS). This decision has once again brought the ongoing resource-sharing and power struggles between Somalia’s central government and its regional states into the public eye.
The joint official statement, issued on Tuesday, was co-signed by the directors general of the ministries of fisheries from Hirshabelle, South West Somalia, Jubaland, and Galmudug, confirming the total suspension of their involvement in the strategy’s drafting process. The officials cited the lack of an adequate platform for consultation, low regional participation, and the undue haste to push the strategy into implementation as the primary reasons for their decision.
The joint statement was signed by Hirshabelle Fisheries Director General Amin Muktar Ahmed, South West Somalia Fisheries Director General Salmo Mahmoud Ali, Jubaland Fisheries Director General Mahmoud Abdi Ahmed, and Galmudug Fisheries Director General Hassan Abdullahi Omar.
The officials stated in their briefing that they fully support any efforts aimed at improving the country’s fisheries management and administrative systems, including the development of the National Fisheries Stock Assessment Strategy. However, they noted that the current document had not undergone sufficient or convincing consultation among the regional states, who are the primary stakeholders and direct implementers of the strategy on the ground.
According to the explanation provided by the directors general, during the strategy’s validation meeting, they requested that the session be postponed to allow for new agenda items reflecting the recommendations of the regional states to be included and to facilitate more meaningful dialogue. However, this request by the regional states was rejected by the central government, and the meeting was forced to proceed with its scheduled agenda, compelling the representatives to withdraw from the session.
“Our withdrawal from the meeting should not be misconstrued as a total rejection of the strategy; what we object to is the process, the lack of sufficient consultation, and the rapid implementation of the strategy without adequate preparation,” the officials clarified in their statement.
The regional officials warned that a strategy approved without the proper participation of federal member states could lead to significant disruptions and unfair practices in the distribution and management of Somalia’s fisheries resources. Therefore, they stressed that the process must be halted immediately to prevent this risk.
Nevertheless, the regional states indicated that their doors remain open for cooperation. To resolve the issue, they called for the establishment of a new joint consultative platform involving the federal government, federal member states, and other key stakeholders. They suggested that this approach would make it possible to produce a comprehensive national document that includes all parties and achieves general consensus.
