A. BACKGROUND
Somtuna Fishing Company, under Dahabshiil Group’s transformation initiative, is scaling tuna operations through short-term wet lease vessels with a long-term vision to acquire a hybrid owned fleet. The overall goal of the company is to optimize its fish sourcing and related services.
The Company therefore seeks the services of a Fishery Expert who will serve as an embedded strategic advisor, optimizing wet lease deployment and architecting Somtuna’s own fleet roadmap while balancing profit, efficiency, and sustainability.
B. OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this assignment are:
- Assessment of the current operating environment of the company relating to fish sourcing, transportation, storage, and other related logistics.
- Assessment the viability of acquiring suitable fishing vessel(s) and determine the optimal approach for operating them.
- Provide expertise in tuna fish supply, vessel selection, financial viability analysis, price negotiations, and support decision-making on buy, lease, or other available options.
C. SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will undertake the following tasks to support Somtuna in vessel sourcing and related services:
1) Vessel Sourcing
a) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of fishing grounds, weather conditions, and patterns to determine the appropriate type of fishing vessel.
b) Identify the required specifications for the fishing vessels, including size, freezer capacity, and other essential features for efficient operations.
c) Provide insights into the design and construction of new vessels or assess the condition of used vessels, based on the Company’s needs.
d) Leverage industry knowledge and experience to identify reputable and reliable surveyors who can conduct thorough inspections, offering expertise in assessing the vessel’s value, considering factors such as age, condition, market trends, and potential maintenance or upgrade costs, thus helping us make informed decisions and mitigate any potential risks.
2) Financial Viability Analysis
a) Provide operating data for the identified fishing vessels to assess their financial feasibility.
b) Support in evaluating the economic viability of the vessel. Analyze factors such as fuel consumption, maintenance costs, and revenue generation potential. Provide a comparison based on purchase, lease and any other available option.
3) Price Negotiations
a) Utilize market insights and expertise to negotiate favorable pricing and terms with boat owners on behalf of Somtuna.
b) Aim to secure the most advantageous agreements for the acquisition or leasing of fishing boats.
4) Operations plans
a) Conduct a detailed analysis aimed at optimizing the current storage and other infrastructure facilities and identifying options available for enhancing capacity cost-effectively.
b) Advise on the delivery logistics and registration process for the vessel in compliance with maritime regulations.
c) Support with the preparation of operation plans to guide the fishing, onboarding, transporting, offloading, and storage of the fish, showing distances, timings, volumes, and costs.
d) Provide guidance and recommendations on whether to hire a fishing crew or enter into an agreement with an external company to operate the vessel, assessing the pros and cons of each option while considering factors such as cost, expertise, and operational control.
D. EXPECTED OUTPUTS
- A detailed report on the current operating environment of the company relating to fish sourcing, transportation, storage, and other related logistics.
- A detailed report with an analysis of vessels and vessel recommendations.
- A detailed analysis with recommendations showing the financial viability of the available options
- Quotations from prospective vessel owners based on the recommended options.
E. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS
The consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:
- 10+ years’ experience in industrial tuna fishing (East Africa Region strongly preferred)
- Experience in vessel sourcing, financial analysis, price negotiations, and crew recruitment.
- Proven experience in conducting vessel assessments, market research, and negotiating favorable terms in vessel acquisition transactions. Direct experience in Purse Seiners, wet lease contracts, and HACCP/traceability systems.
- Fleet strategy with comparative model analysis and acquisition roadmap.
- Training and systems- workshop modules, crew logs, digital traceability toolkit
F. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Interested consultants are invited to submit their Expression of Interest, including methodology, timeline, fee structure, and relevant experience, to:
Director, Human Resources, Dahabshiil Group
Email address: Group.hr@dahabshiil.com
Deadline:14th August 2025.
