PRAIA, November 5 (Xinhua) — Cape Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and European Union (EU) Ambassador to Cape Verde Sylvie Millot signed an agreement on Tuesday in São Vicente (Cape Verde) for the implementation of the West Africa Ocean Sustainability Program (WASOP).
Funded by the EU with a budget of 59 million euros, the WASOP will be implemented in 13 coastal West African countries: Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Built around three pillars — ocean governance, sustainable blue economy, and global coordination and ecosystem preservation — the program aims to strengthen the protection and conservation of marine environments while promoting the sustainable and integrated use of ocean resources across West Africa.
According to Cape Verde’s Minister of the Sea, Jorge Santos, the initiative will support the creation of fisheries monitoring and enforcement systems, fish stock assessments, the protection of endangered species, and enhanced regional cooperation on ocean governance and sustainable blue economy development.
Jérémie Pellet, Director-General of Expertise France and coordinator of the WASOP’s implementation, noted that the blue economy currently provides 12 million jobs in West Africa and could generate up to 20 million in the coming years.
“This growth must be accompanied by a structured vision and a clear strategy for financial partners and stakeholders supporting public policies for the development of the blue economy,” he emphasized.
Source: french.xinhuanet
