Ongoing project

Cool, Clean and Circular

A cold chain for fresh fish in Somaliland, and jobs for young people along the way, from the boats in Berbera to the market in Hargeisa.

Partners and fishers holding fresh fish
Danida Green Business PartnershipsCT-TechnologiesNordic SeafoodFresh Fish CompanyNextstep

The goal

More fresh fish on Somaliland's tables, less fish lost between sea and market, and decent jobs for vulnerable women and youth in the fishery sector.

Five parts of one project

  • A fisher handing over his catch in Berbera

    Fresh Fish Company

    Buys fish from fishers in Berbera and sells it in Hargeisa.

  • Ice poured over fresh fish

    A fresh fish hub

    Cold rooms and an ice machine keep fish fresh.

  • A fishery training session

    Training

    Courses for fishers, hub staff, cooks, traders and job seekers.

  • Members of the Blue Economy Alliance at a meeting

    Blue Economy Alliance

    Government, companies and NGOs who develop the sector together.

  • A grilled fish fillet served on a plate

    More fish on the menu

    Campaigns, cooking events and a Fish Festival.

Hargeisa's first cold chain fish market

From the boats in Berbera to a cold market in the capital.

The Fresh Fish Hub building under construction in Hargeisa

The Fresh Fish Hub

The hub will be Hargeisa's first fish market with a full cold chain. Fish from Berbera arrives in a refrigerated truck, goes straight into cold rooms and stays on flake ice until it is sold.

Traders, restaurants and families will buy fresh fish there, and the hub will create jobs for women and young people trained in the project.

Partners and construction workers at the hub site in Hargeisa

Under construction, opening at the end of 2026

Building work started in July 2026. CT-Technologies has shipped two cold rooms, a generator and a flake ice machine for the hub.

Fresh Fish Company's refrigerated truck has carried fish from Berbera since August 2026, and its shop in Hargeisa sells fresh fish every day.

Numbers from the project's own monitoring.

Partners visiting the fishery in Berbera
204fishers, skippers and crew trained
Partners visiting the fishery in Berbera
3,250 kgfish bought in August 2026
A worker with fresh fish in the cold room
445people in training 2026–27
A fishery training session

Somaliland has 850 km of coastline, yet only around 3,000 tonnes of fish are registered each year. No single actor can change that alone.

What it is
A forum where government, fishing companies, NGOs and academia plan the future of Somaliland's fishery sector together.
Led by
The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources
YEEL's role
Secretary of the alliance
Members
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Fresh Fish Company, Somtuna, Red Sea Fishing Co., Badmaal Fishing, Shuraako, HEFO, World Vision, Berbera Maritime Academy and more
Next step
A shared charter with the main challenges, 2030 ambitions and concrete actions for the sector

From the boat to the market

Workers fitting insulation panels inside the hubFishery work in BerberaPartners visiting the fishery in BerberaFish being weighedA fishery training sessionFishery work in BerberaFresh fish in crates

Funded by
Danida Green Business Partnerships, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
Partners
CT-Technologies, Nordic Seafood and Fresh Fish Company, with advice from Nextstep
YEEL's role
Administrative partner and lead
Where
Berbera and Hargeisa, Somaliland