Maputo, 9 Jun (AIM) – Mozambique has lost, over the last year, 60 million dollars due to illegal fishing, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) director in the country, Solani Mhango.
Mhango told AIM on Thursday, in Maputo, on the sidelines of the World Oceans Day festivities, that overfishing is one of the biggest problems facing Mozambican fisheries.
“If we look at the oceans, the major problem we see is overfishing in Mozambique. Mozambique is one of the African countries with the most extensive coastline, and over 60 percent of the population living in this area has a great dependence on marine resources”, said Mhango.
“So there are problems related to overfishing that we call illegal”, Mhango said, adding that “there are challenges but I think the government is doing a lot and organizations, like ours, see the role of supporting the government.”
According to the director, Mozambique, as a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), should be open for fisheries monitoring.
“What we do on land affects the oceans. We need the oceans for our existence on this planet, so for us this day means the commitment of the government and other social actors for the preservation and protection of the marine ecosystem for the protection of our and future generations”, he said.
The event, promoted by the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, was held under the slogan “Planet Ocean, the Tides Are Changing”.
(AIM)
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