Lack of Institutional Support and Infrastructure Sample Clauses

Lack of Institutional Support and Infrastructure. ‌ Haiti’s fishermen have not received institutional support from their government for decades, and there is no resource management at any level. Within the seven communities in the 3BNP, 81% of the fishermen claim they have never seen a government fisheries agent. This is a unique situation, as in most countries governments provide some form of management and enforcement of regulations, with technical support by fisheries extension agents and training. Nevertheless, the neglect by government institutions and poor leadership is ubiquitous in Haiti. The lack of government support for co-management or any system of management has prompted the establishment of more than 140 Fishermen’s Associations in the country. The Associations’ ability to effect change is in some cases handicapped by the fishermen’s low level of education, including a 10–12% literacy rate. In countries with sustainable nonindustrial fisheries, government infrastructure and regulation guides the fisheries. In Haiti, not only is there no organization and no support from government, fishermen are not even aware of the benefits of such infrastructure. On Haiti’s beaches, where fish are landed, conditions are often unsanitary due to potential large crowds of people and animals, including dogs and pigs. There are no stations for quantifying fish catch and collecting data. Ice is usually manufactured by block ice makers based in large population centers, trucked to fishing communities, and kept under sawdust in unsanitary conditions. There is no available cold storage in much of Haiti, apart from a few chest freezers. Ice is mainly used by women fish mongers in small quantities. Many fishermen do not take ice when they go fishing. There are no fish inspections or quality control, which could affect the health of consumers and post-harvest loss. There is no processing, as fish are sold whole to a non- discerning public in small rural markets. Each fisherman keeps 10–20% of his catch for personal consumption and sells the rest of his fish to the fish xxxxxx, who rushes to a nearby market. Here, the fish are sold “fresh,” perhaps 8–20 hours or more from the time of catch, often with little or no use of ice.