Luanda: More than 4,000 fishing vessels are currently operating clandestinely off the coast of the Angolan capital, Luanda, the provincial director of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Joo Pedro said on Friday. Speaking to ANGOP on the sidelines of the debates of the Blue Economy Week, he said the number of illegal vessels is equal to the number of legalized boats.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Joo Pedro warned of the seriousness of the situation, noting that the informal fleet sustains a workforce of more than 90,000 people in the direct activity of fishing, with an average of up to seven crew members for each small and medium-sized vessel. Pedro said the concept of the blue economy should be understood as a commitment to environmental and biological preservation to safeguard the reproductive cycles of marine species and not just as a financial debate.
Regarding the operators' complaints about the lack of public cold storage infrastructure to preserve catches, the provincial director said the government is designing specific policies to create a healthy business environment. Despite Luanda not yet having any operational fish markets, technical work is underway to ensure the construction of several units in the shortest possible time.
He explained that the project aims to organize the value chain in all municipalities of the province, complementing the efforts made in the rehabilitation and delivery of the Mabunda and Mercado Mundial marketing platforms. The director highlighted the high level of interest shown by private entrepreneurs, with a special focus on young investors, who have submitted proposals to promote aquaculture in Luanda.
