Luanda: Angolan Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmen do Sacramento Neto, stated on Thursday in Luanda that investment in the blue economy is currently being built up in the country, with an increase in projects in areas such as artisanal fishing and aquaculture. Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the 3rd Africa Blue Economy Conference, the minister noted that the country has seen a significant influx of economic investments linked to oil, gas, transport, and ports.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the minister also discussed the Kalunga project, a strategic sector initiative aimed at strengthening artisanal fishing, aquaculture, and scientific research. This project is integral to the development of the blue economy and the country's sovereignty over its ocean space. She added that the project, currently in the final stages of processing, is budgeted at 143 million US dollars and entails three major benefits.
The first relates to workforce training for scientific research, focusing on the Institute for Fisheries and Marine Research. The second involves the reconstruction and expansion of the Institute's facilities, including building construction and upgrades, as well as the management of the scientific research vessel based in Baa Farta, Benguela. The third benefit concerns management aimed at securing national sovereignty over ocean-related data.
"The initiative aims to consolidate all this data and ensure it is put to good use," she emphasized. In the minister's view, the Kalunga project will contribute to strengthening national scientific capacity in the maritime domain. "We are now seeing more pronounced development in the transport, port, and fisheries sectors," she said.
She emphasized that the Executive's strategic direction is to expand investment into other areas, such as tourism and conservation-an environmental sector essential for ecosystems. She further added that the plan also addresses issues regarding security, as well as maritime management and governance.
The 3rd Africa Blue Economy Conference, which concludes on Friday (24), is being held under the theme "Political leadership for the transformation of the blue economy in Africa." The event aims to move from strategy to concrete actions and achieve a qualitative leap, based on an agenda comprising two days of technical discussions and one day of high-level meetings.
