World Fisheries Day celebrated in Massingir
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Friday (21/11) participated in the central ceremonies of World Fisheries Day in Massingir, Gaza province. The day, that has been celebrated in Mozambique since 1998, intends to praise the work of fisher communities and their role in supplying the most important source of animal protein of the Mozambican population: fish.
Highlight of the celebration was the inauguration of the fish market in Massingir. In his speech during the ceremony, FAO’s Representative in Mozambique, Castro Camarada, reminded that "for the realization of this work, the involved institutions faced countless challenges, which have gradually been overcome". Camarada also pointed out that "the engagement and the commitment from all stakeholders to provide better conditions for the development of fishery activities prevailed".
The Governor of Gaza province, Raimundo Diomba, cut the ribbon of the new market and the term of delivery was signed. "We, the fishers of Massingir reservoir", the representative of the local fishers’ association said, "wish to express our contentment regarding this market". Julião Seleve referred to the "big losses the reservoir’s fishers used to have after the capture". Until now, they did not have any cooling or storing systems. Thus, the day was of celebration for the local community. They sang and danced and reflected on the future challenges of their activity. "We will do everything to best preserve this fish market so that it can meet the objective it was built for", the District Administrator, Alberto Libombo, stressed. "Fishery not only provides us with food", the Provincial Governor, Raimundo Diomba, recalled, "it is a source of work and income for many families" in the region around the reservoir.
The fish market in Massingir has been planned and built as an infrastructure aimed at supporting local artisanal fishery within the Project for the Development of Artisanal Fishery in the Provinces of Gaza and Inhambane (PPAGI). Another market, in Maxixe, Inhambane, shall be inaugurated this year.
This project, which came up as an initiative from the Mozambican Government in the sub-sector of artisanal fishery following an emergency project, had financial support from Italy and has been implemented by FAO.
At the inauguration of the market, the Head of Cooperation at the Italian Cooperation, Dario Milano, said he believed that the project contributes to "benefit fishers individually and their associations". According to FAO’s Representative Camarada, it intended to "contribute to improving food security and living conditions of the fisher communities in the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane". In total, PPAGI benefits approximately 110.000 people, among others, fishers, carpenters, naval mechanics and traders of fish and inputs. The project closes at the end of 2014.