Jorge Hilário de Sousa said, in statements to the Lusa agency, that there is a movement of boats from the north to the south, which creates several economic constraints, namely more expenses with fuel, food and conservation of fish, with difficulties also being faced by processing companies located in Baía Farta (Benguela province) and Cuanza Sul.
According to Jorge de Sousa, businessmen in the sector are on the verge of "having much more serious situations at a social level", if concrete measures are not taken to prevent unreported legal fishing from ending, considering that "it is not good" the situation that presents itself.
The also president of the League of Fishing, Aquaculture and Salt Associations of Angola (LAPAS) stressed that in artisanal fishing there is a situation of degradation of the seabed and a "very large flow" of people from the interior to fishing communities, bringing different habits and pressure on existing resources on the coast.
"All this, combined with incorrect fishing practices, bring, along with trawls, this weakness, this lack of capacity for resources to regenerate", he said.
With regard to fish that are in shallower waters, close to the coast, Jorge de Sousa stressed that there is capture, even in unauthorized periods, in "declared looting", by large vessels, due to the fragility of the means of inspection.
"These vessels that should be or should operate beyond 15 nautical miles operate in fishing areas intended for semi-industrial fishing", underlined the associative leader, warning that the situation also causes problems of maritime safety, namely the disappearance of vessels from the artisanal fishing.
According to the president of the Namibe Fisheries Association, in artisanal fishing the tendency is also for people to move further south, because in the north resources are becoming scarce, remembering that, in past years, trawling had a greater incidence in the northern region.
"It is urgent to take a conscious measure in order to safeguard the continuity of companies, investments made in land by national businessmen – with the social responsibility of employing – to be immediately protected. We are on the verge of having mass redundancies", he warned.
