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The federal government has restated its commitment to regional cooperation and sustainable fisheries development as part of efforts to promote blue economy growth and encourage economic diversification within the African subregion.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola stated this at Advisory Committee and Consulting (ACC) Session of the 16th Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) which began in Lagos on Tuesday.
Oyetola who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola, stated that Nigeria remains fully committed to the objectives of the FCWC for the promotion of sustainable fisheries, effective governance and the economic empowerment of coastal communities.
Expressing Nigeria’s commitment towards development of the sector, the Minister said: “We encourage regional coordination, sharing of best practices, building competencies to support systems that guarantee that the issues of fisheries are tackled promptly and rightly. There is opportunity for us to take stock of current activities and actions in the subregion and lay steps forward in line with regional standards that have been set to forestall the negative effects of climate change.
“Nigeria has enacted the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy and what is most important to us is the opportunity to use fisheries and aquaculture to significantly diversify the economy. We are also focused on ensuring that whatever we do us is sustainable.”
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He emphasised that all efforts in the areas of value chain development and biodiversity must continue to focus on improving the livelihoods of the people, stressing that this must not be compromised.
Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Expert, Dr. Amadou Tall, while moderating the plenary, urged member states to improve their financial contributions to sustain regional fisheries and aquaculture programmes.
The European Fisheries Control Agency reaffirmed its partnership with FCWC through the West African Sustainable Oceans Programme (WASOP), which promotes joint patrols, training, and the implementation of the EU-IUU regulations. Food and Agriculture Organisation and CPCO also pledged continued technical assistance under the WASOP project.