Luanda - Minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs Office to the President of the Republic Adão de Almeida considers it "urgent to approve an integrated strategy for the seas, in order to avoid the under exploitation of resources Maritimes of Angola".
Angola has a vast ocean with a potential that is still underexplored, he said, adding that such diversity requires the urgent approval of an integrated strategy for the sea in Angola, the deliberation of which is ongoing,” he stressed Wednesday in Luanda.
The government official defended this during the opening of the sea conference held under the theme "The challenges for the growth of the blue economy".
The event took place in reference to the week of the oceans, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
In his speech, Adão de Almeida mentioned that despite this under-exploitation, the oceans contribute significantly to the gross domestic product, with the highest percentage coming from the oil industry.
The Minister of State added that in addition to the oil and gas industry, the fishing and shipping industries are others that have a huge impact on the national economy.
"The fisheries sector recorded a positive performance last year, allowing a significant increase in fish and salt catches, with production increasing by around 198,000 tonnes, compared to 164,000 tonnes in 2021", he noted.
For this reason, he stressed, the strategy must be approved, including the development of marine aquaculture of native Angolan species with greater cultivation potential, in order to improve the availability of fish, with an impact on food nutrition security.
The official stressed that the current vision of the strategy should aim for sustainable and competitive development, investing in the qualification of human resources and in infrastructure to support the economic use of natural resources.
