BY JARED KOLI
History is being created as 18 Solomon Islanders will today be awarded a Micro-qualification in Establishing and Operating a Small Seafood Business.
The 18 graduates are scholarship recipients of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership Programme (PEUMP) with the University of the South Pacific (USP).
According to information obtained by Island Sun, the scholarship recipients are ocean artisans, seafood entrepreneurs and informal food vendors.
Eleven of the awardees are women.
“The USP is one of four key implementing partners of the PEUMP Programme, a EUR 45M programme funded by the EU and the Government of Sweden.
The USP, through the PEUMP Programme, is focusing on building the capacity for Pacific islanders through education, training, research and development in fisheries and marine resources management.
PEUMP overall objective is to improve the economic, social and environmental benefits for 15 Pacific ACP states (PACPs) arising from stronger regional economic integration and the sustainable management of natural resources and the environment.
The specific objective outcome is to support sustainable management and development of fisheries for food security and economic growth, while addressing climate change resilience and conservation of marine biodiversity.
The four implementing partners of PEUMP are the Pacific Community (SPC), which is the lead agency for the programme and is responsible for its overall management, 2) the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), 3) the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and 4) USP.
