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Scientific research among the "core objectives" of Portuguese cooperation with Angola in fisheries

The Secretary of State for Fisheries said this Wednesday that "one of the central objectives" of cooperation with Portugal is "scientific research", a field where the ship "Baía Farta", preparing for a new cruise, will play a role "important".

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"One of the central objectives of this cooperation is the development of scientific research", stated Esperança da Costa, at a joint press conference with her Portuguese counterpart, Teresa Coelho, after a two-day working meeting in Lisbon.

For the Secretary of State, this cooperation should range from the training of specialized staff for the development of actions aimed at maintaining a continuous assessment of the state of resources and the influence of the climate on their preservation, to the concentration of synergies for the identification of projects that aim not only at the study of commercial marine species, but also of other species, whose commercial value is not known so far, and can add value to these species and improve the diet.

The vessel "Baía Farta" complements this work, said the official responsible for the Angolan executive.

"It is a research vessel, it has been intervened to improve some of the non-conformities it presented at the beginning, when it arrived in Angola," she added.

However, according to the Secretary of State, its navigability is not in question. "These are non-conformities linked to some equipment for measuring the various parameters needed to be able to assess the health of the ecosystem and the abundance" of resources, she explained.

However, she referred that Angola and Portugal are also trying to "identify and form teams that can, within the scope of the cruises that will be developed soon, participate".

The aim is "to identify biomass and species in the exclusive economic zone, but also outside it", she stressed.

Which, according to the official, could also be useful for Portugal "in terms of studying other oceanographic parameters, because the ship is prepared for that".

"And we found here in Portugal a good predisposition and qualified staff to develop the activity in the 'Baía Farta'", she reinforced.

According to Esperança da Costa, the research vessel made its first cruise, returned and "now is being prepared for the second cruise, which takes about 30 days", and will take place in the south of Angola.

Angop had reported last week that the research vessel "Baía Farta" had suspended, for an indefinite period, its scientific cruise program in national oceanic waters, which started on July 30th, for technical reasons.

According to the Secretary of State for Fisheries, Esperança da Costa, cited by the agency on 28 October, the measure was essentially aimed at fine-tuning/calibrating the peripheral equipment of the Angolan vessel, which has been in the country since 2018, from Romania.

According to the official, the temporary stoppage of the device occurred after the first demersal trawl cruise (fishing for species on the seabed), which was successfully concluded in 10 days in the North Region (Luanda-South of the Congo River).

This is the second stop of the ship, after in 2018 nonconformities and damages were identified along the route Romania (country of origin)/Angola.

In relation to other areas of cooperation between the two countries in the fisheries sector, the Secretary of State of Portugal, Teresa Coelho, for her part, pointed out that in the area of ​​industries associated with fishing there could also be a reinforcement, but counting on the private initiative.

The Portuguese official added that, after the holding of a forum for businessmen from Angola in Portugal in 2019, a forum for Portuguese businessmen will be held in Angola.

"The issue of transformation [of fish] and the canning industry is important for Portugal and for Angola. There are issues of mutual investment that we can analyze, but for that, nothing better than having our entrepreneurs be able to see on the ground what exists and what type of investment can be made," he commented.

Other matters discussed at the meeting were data collection, inspection and combating illegal fishing.

The Secretary of State for Fisheries, Teresa Coelho, received her Angolan counterpart, Esperança da Costa, on the 2nd and 3rd of November, to review the situation of bilateral cooperation and identify new areas for joint work.

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