Report on the FarFish advanced post-graduate training program

Training, education and capacity building are key objectives of FarFish. The project has addressed these objectives in variable approaches, depending on the needs of the different target groups. One of these approaches is outlined in Task 7.5 of the FarFish project description, as “advanced post-graduate programme for key personnel working in releant supply chains”. The programme was successfully delivered by the GRÓ Fisheries Training programme (GRÓ-FTP), as reported in this document. This six-month porgramme was adapted for FarFish partners in the Case Study SFPA countries and targeted participants in influential positions, to provide and create in-depth knowledge on fisheries management and related issues.

The GRÓ-FTP is an established training programme, based in Iceland and funded through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as part of Iceland’s Offical Development Assistance. The mission of GRÓ-FTP is to enhance capacity of indiviudals and institutions in developing countries to sustainably use living aquatic resources. The programme began operation in 1998. The core activity of the GRÓ-FTP is an annual six-month post graduate fellowship programme, targeting mid-career fisheries professionals from developing countries. Fellowships are awarded based upon an established set of selection criteria, candidates are selected to participate in cooperation with their institutions.

A total of five (5) fellowships were awarded through the duration of the FarFish project to scientists and experts working in FarFish Case Study partner organisaiotns. These fellowships were awarded based upon the FarFish Training Needs Assessments and subsequent visits to the Case Study countries, in which capacity gaps and priorities were established.

The post-graduate training was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to international travel restrictions, fellows who had been selected for training in the 2020-2021 cohort were required to delay their participation by one year. As such, even with the extension of the FarFish project, the five fellows were not able to complete the programme within the life of the FarFish project. Nevertheless, three (3) FarFish fellows fully completed their studies, with research reports produced and published on the groftp.is website, and two (2) FarFish fellows are currently enrolled in the GRÓ-FTP six month programme, and are expected to graduate in March 2022.
This document outlines the selection of fellows for training, the structure of the six-month training, and summarises the outputs of the fellows’ research projects.