Training needs assessment of fishermen on Oman’s Batinah coast: using exploratory factor analysis

Oman’s 3165-km-long coastline, which includes bays, islands and lagoons, has been rich in fish and crustaceans. In spite of this, the fishing sector and fishermen in Oman have not developed well. The fishermen have just managed to subsist and their motivation to stay in the traditional or artisanal fishery has declined. Assuming that the assessment of fishermen’s training needs could be one of the possible solutions, this paper attempts to identify, categorise and prioritise training needs of fishermen on the Batinah coast. Questionnaires were administered to 1934 fisher folks in the eight coastal regions on Batinah coast. Training needs were identified using the exploratory factor analysis technique for data reduction over a previously compiled list of 93 items of interest. This analysis extracted (categorised) 30 key factors, which were further classified into technical and/or behavioural needs. The outcomes suggested that some of the training needs of fishermen are as diverse as the groups of identified factors. It would be worthwhile training the fishermen on most of these aspects. The discussion revealed some vulnerability in the current training practices and recognised a need for educating and training these fishermen differently. Development of specific training programmes and policies are expected.