Lubango - The catching of fish, both at sea and in the country's rivers fell from 400,000 tonnes in 2019 to 60,000 the following year, due to Covid-19.
The information was provided today in Huila province by the Secretary of State for Fisheries, Esperança da Costa, who also noted that 35 percent of the 2020 result came from artisanal marine fishing.
Over the last two years 18,000 new fishing boats were licensed and were used by cooperatives, which generated 50,000 jobs.
Esperança da Costa, who was on a three-day trip to Huíla to assess the continental fishing sector, also noted that 80 percent of workers in the artisanal fishing sector were women, mainly linked to retail and processing.
She said that the fisheries management system now focused on combating illegal fishing, via an integrated system of patrols along the coast.
In relation to beekeeping, he admitted that there is a crisis, mainly due to the lack of ration to feed the fish, as well as several indispensable tools such as canoes and nets, aggravated by the drought and Covid-19.
