Allan and Camerson (right) being trained
in fish identification by Roger Bills and Paul Skelton (left)
at SAIAB, South Africa
Under the auspices of BioFISA Fish Project, the NEPAD
Regional Fish Node in liaison with South African Institute
of Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) organized a training
course on “Voucher Specimen Collection and Maintenance”
which was held between 15th and 25th June, 2012 in
Grahamstown, South Africa.
The participants of the training were two laboratory
technicians Mr Allan Siamwenya and Mr Camerson Ghambi
from the University of Zambia and Bunda College respectively
wth Roger bills (SAIAB's Collection manager) as the
main facilitator.
The objective of the training was to equip participants
with knowledge and skills in:
> Principles of collection and maintenance of fish
specimen;
> Methods of Field collection including equipment
needed and field sheets design;
> Techniques used when collecting specimen (photography,
dissections, skeletonisation)
> Data organization and database management
> Strategies in maintenance of the voucher specimen
(museum curation).
Subsequently, rooms for voucher specimen collections
were rehabilitated at Bunda College and University
of Zambia. Collections. Fish collections have also
been well placed in the voucher specimen collection
room at Bunda College. |
|
In an effort to build capacity of fisheries
experts in dealing with issues relating to CAADP country processes,
18 fisheries experts were oriented to the process by the NEPAD
Planning and Coordinating Agency and African Fisheries Experts
Network (afri-fishnet).
The need to train the experts was taken up after it was identified
that most of the experts were not fully exposed to CAADP country
processes and hence did not have sufficient technical capacity
to conduct the CAADP country reviews. This is to ensure that
all fish experts taking part in the post-Compact interventions
are able to use standard methodologies, quality CAADP country
reviews and quality evidence-based policy recommendations
to policy makers. The training also aimed at reviewing the
“CAADP Investment plan review Guidelines” to ensure
that they are consistent with and supportive to addressing
fisheries and aquaculture opportunities in national agriculture
development opportunities .
The training took place at Africa Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique,
from 6th to 8th September 2012 with Prof. Emmanuel Kaunda
(Afri-Fishnet Network Coordinator) as the main facilitator.
Mr John Kamanga (Afri-Fishnet Program Assistant).also made
a presentation on the Role of Afri-Fishnet on CAADP.
Presentations and training report can be accessed on www.afri-fishnet.org.
As a follow up, NPCA and Afri-Fishnet is currently undertaking
sensitization campaigns of CAADP Country Process to Fish Experts
in various regions of Africa.
|
|
Outreach to Engangement workshop in session at Bunda College, 5th-9th November, 2012
Universities of Eastern and Southern Africa have taken
a bold step to shift from outreach to engagement in agricultural
research, training and development – a timely response
to current development trends in agricultural research and
training needs of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.
The universities under the Regional Universities Forum
for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a consortium
of 29 universities in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa,
are running the second of its three training workshops at
Bunda College from 5th-9th November, 2012. The workshop
is aimed at imparting Action research skills to the 30 participants
which include lecturers, students and their stakeholders.
This workshop will also feed into Community Action Research
Program (CARP) – Fish project which is working with
68 fish farmers for enhanced fish production and Marketing
in Dowa and Mchinji Districts, Malawi.
The first workshop which took place from 30th July to 3rd
August 2012 was aimed at aligning the universities teaching,
research and outreach programs towards industry-responsive
practice based on experiential Learning.
The three workshops have been planned and are being implemented
by Bunda College, Moi university School of Agriculture and
Biotechnology in Kenya, Makerere University in Uganda and
the Wagengen University and Research Centre (WUR) in the
Netherlands. The workshops facilitators are Dr Conny Almekinders
from Wagengen University and Research Centre (WUR), the
Netherlands and Dr Prossy Isubikalu from Makerere University,
Uganda. This is one of the projects by RUFORUM that is supported
by European Union (EU).
|
