Tunisia Launches €5.5 Million Project to Strengthen Coastal Fishing Communities
Tunis, Tunisia - May 14, 2026 - The "NEMO HOUT" project, aimed at strengthening the fishing sector in Tunisia's coastal communities, was officially launched on Thursday in Tunis. The project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is being implemented by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM Bari) in partnership with the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGPA) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries.
The NEMO HOUT project focuses on strengthening artisanal fishing, integrating socio-economic aspects of fishing ports, combating illicit, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, developing capacities, and creating new economic opportunities for coastal communities, according to Naoufel Romdhane, Director of Fisheries Promotion at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The three-year project will be implemented in the governorates of Nabeul, Sfax, and Médenine, benefiting professionals in the sector, young people, women, and local actors in the concerned coastal areas, Romdhane said.
The project will target the ports of Sidi Daoud (Nabeul governorate), Sfax, Mahrès, Skhira, and El Kraten (Sfax governorate), as well as El Ketf (Médenine governorate), and will also focus on the Professional Fishing Training Centers (CFPP) in Sfax and Zarzis.
Federico Rivara, Head of the NEMO HOUT project, emphasized that the project will strengthen the capacities of all key stakeholders in the fisheries sector, from professional fishing organizations to public services responsible for managing the sector, as well as private operators.
Rivara added that six professional organizations composed of 200 fishermen, including 20% women, will benefit from projects. In the public sector, 38 members of administrative and training services will benefit, while 66 private operators in the fishing sector (startups and companies), 50 young beneficiaries of training programs, and 1,500 employees of private operators (70% women) will also benefit from the project.
The project aims to improve port services in the targeted ports, strengthen monitoring, control, and maintenance systems, and improve the traceability of the sector, as well as consolidate the capacities of structures responsible for accompanying young people towards entrepreneurship, in addition to accompanying innovative, sustainable, and high-potential development companies.
For Francesco Pallocca, Deputy Director of the AICS Tunis office, the launch of NEMO HOUT marks the beginning of a collective dynamic bringing together institutions, local actors, the private sector, and civil society around a common goal: the development of a sustainable, inclusive, and job-creating blue economy in Tunisia.
For the Italian Cooperation, fishing is more than just an economic activity; it is part of the identity of coastal communities and contributes to food security, local employment, and social cohesion.
In this context, the NEMO HOUT project, which aims to strengthen artisanal fishing in all its dimensions, will play a strategic role by investing in human capital and organizing the sector and entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly for young people and small-scale fishermen.
The project will contribute to valorizing coastal communities while preserving marine heritage through better governance of the sector and support for sustainable and innovative initiatives.
NEMO HOUT is part of the "Blue Tunisia" program, which mobilizes €33 million to support Tunisia's blue economy, promoting a competitive, sustainable, and inclusive coastal development in line with Tunisia's national priorities and those of Italian Cooperation.
