Lobito - The president of Otchiva, Association for the Protection and Restoration of Mangroves, Fernanda René, on Thursday considered worrying the state of these ecosystems in the municipality of Lobito (Benguela).
On a guided tour, accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Ana Paula de Carvalho, Fernanda René called for increased information to communities about environmental problems, so that people are aware of their importance and adopt different behavior.
The expert condemned the recent environmental crimes that occurred in Lobito, carried out by young people, using mosquito nets to catch small fishes and other nutrients for migratory birds.
'We need to continue to educate and raise awareness among the population, including our public managers, because we are often faced with the transfer of land in these ecosystems', she warned.
She recalled that mangroves are the nursery for marine species, rainwater retention basins, protect the seafront from erosion and flooding, among other functions.
Fernanda René asked about penalties for offenders, which she considered still mild, despite the Government being 'tightening' a little more.
'It is a sign that the Government is aware of the importance of the environment, therefore, we must encourage and put more pressure on those who destroy the environment to be held accountable', she stated.
In turn, the director of the National Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation, Miguel Xavier, stated that his institution deals more with crimes related to fauna and flora.
'At the level of all areas of the environment there are laws that create mechanisms to condemn those who degrade the environment, in the case of poaching, or destroy the ecosystem', he said.
Miguel Xavier informed that work has been carried out to reduce its negative impact on the environment.
According to him, the Ministry of the Environment has a program for this year, relating to the conservation of mangroves, throughout their distribution area in Angola, which starts from the province of Cabinda, goes down to Zaire and reaches Benguela.
The director informed that the program aims, above all, to recover degraded areas.
'In the case of Lobito, it is necessary to requalify to restructure the existing population and in Soyo, which already has a healthy population, there is a project to create a new conservation area', he clarified.
The migratory birds that inhabit the wetlands of Lobito are the flamingo, symbol of the city, the Cape teal, the pelican, the fish-picker, the heron, the spoonbill, the stilt, among others. TC/CRB/DOJ
