Cuban and Angola Ministers discuss fisheries cooperation

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 4 (acn) María del Carmen Concepción, Minister of Food Industry of Cuba, and Victoria de Barros Neto, Angolan Minister of Fisheries, analyzed today in Luanda a action joint plan to strengthen fisheries cooperation.

Prensa Latina reports that the program sets out principles and modalities for the implementation of an understanding memorandum on cooperation in the field of fisheries, aquaculture, scientific and technical research, development of apiculture technologies, among other areas.

During the meeting, held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Fisheries, the two ministers discussed issues related to the training of human resources, construction of shipyards, fishing boats and supplies.

It was reported that a Cuban specialist in the area of production of fish feed will go to Luanda in the second half of this year, while an Angolan will travel to the Caribbean nation to be trained on technique, development, structuring, implementation and management of economically viable projects.

As part of her working visit to Angola, which began on January 29, Concepción toured the National Research Institute of the Ministry of Fisheries, where she received a detailed explanation on the institution by its general director,

Filomena Vaz, who told her they develop several programs but they give priority to monitoring of fishery and environmental resources and their influence on the industry.

She also mentioned among the challenges the study of the interaction between climate variability and dynamics of resources.

In the exchange, Concepción became interested in fishing closure periods, regulation of species and how the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries is measured.

Finally, Vaz advocated by settle on cooperation with Cuba, particularly on the "assessment of fisheries resources, quality control and in the area of taxonomy of micro and macro-algae."

In this regard, the Cuban official said that "the first is the joint work between the scientific authorities of both research centers."

The venue we visited, she said, "is obviously a stronghold in the application of science and fisheries regulation like ours, which besides having infrastructure from the point of view of equipment and technology, has a well prepared workforce."

According to Concepcion , "there are many points of agreement where we can work together, there are positive experiences that this center can transfer to us and in turn we can help them on fisheries management, fishing quotas, minimum sizes termination, use of fishing gears, closed periods, studies."