Ivory Coast’s Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Sidi Touré, participated, upon the invitation of his Beninese counterpart, in the launching ceremony of the campaign to assess fish stocks in Benin’s maritime waters on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
In his capacity as the incumbent President of the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among Atlantic Ocean Coastal States (COMHAFAT), Minister Sidi Touré, while expressing gratitude to his Beninese counterpart, Gaston Dossouhoui, emphasized the need for member countries of this sub-regional organization to pool their efforts for better sustainable management of animal and fisheries resources, aiming for the further development of the blue economy. This requires obtaining scientific information on the status of fisheries resources within the maritime space of the organization’s member states.
« The sustainable management of our maritime fisheries necessarily involves acquiring scientific information about the state of our fisheries resources and the variability of the marine environment. Our policies can only be built upon effective and dynamic fisheries research results. This is a priority to establish the foundations of strategies and policies to ensure the sustainability of our resources. Our states are called upon to implement policies and programs aimed at conserving and sustainably managing fisheries resources. But this can only be done if we have viable information. We must mobilize for the preservation of our water bodies. This is a call to manage our resources well and guarantee fish not only for present but also future generations, » emphasized Mr. Sidi Touré.
According to Mr. Sidi Touré, the main objective of COMHAFAT is to achieve effective and active cooperation among member states for the preservation of fisheries resources and sustainable development of fisheries in our regions. In doing so, he encouraged all « COMHAFAT member states to share their successful experiences with each other. » He noted that the ongoing cooperation initiative between the Kingdom of Morocco and Benin is in line with this logic. This South-South cooperation is a clear sign of solidarity among African countries, as advocated by COMHAFAT for the sustainable management of fisheries resources. « It should inspire all members of our organization, » he added.
« In this way, we will not only promote cooperation in the planning and development of fisheries, but also develop, coordinate, and harmonize the efforts and capacities of member states to preserve, exploit, enhance, and market our fisheries resources. This can be beneficial to our neighboring landlocked and geographically disadvantaged African states, » he argued.
For his part, the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forestry, Mohamed Sadiki, stated that the fisheries sector plays a crucial role in the blue economy. Thus, the campaign to assess fish stocks is the surest way to establish the foundations of food security. Therefore, he congratulated and thanked the Moroccan and Beninese actors and Japanese partners whose contributions and interests have led to this event.
Benin’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Gaston Dossouhoui, expressed his delight at COMHAFAT’s efforts through its incumbent president. He thanked Morocco with which discussions led to the signing on January 30, 2023, of a memorandum of understanding with his country, Benin. He also emphasized the importance of this stock assessment campaign as a lever in the quest to enhance the productivity of Benin’s water bodies, especially considering the inadequacy of national production covering only 40% of his country’s consumption needs, and the significant contribution of fisheries to GDP, with a rate of over 8%. For Gaston Dossouhoui, this campaign marks the beginning of a comprehensive program for the sustainable management of fisheries in Benin.
Prior to this ceremony, Minister Sidi Touré and his Moroccan counterpart held discussions on certain issues at the Beninese Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries. The two personalities shared their visions for the smooth functioning of COMHAFAT.
