"A new path has just opened for all of us” Á. Mathiesen said

The Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Árni Mathiesen, on Friday (14/11) left Mozambique after a three-day visit.

Mathiesen on Wednesday (12/11) signed the Host Agreement of the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission’s (SWIOFC) Secretariat, effectively transferring the FAO body that was domiciled in Zimbabwe since its establishment in 2004 to the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

Zimbabwe, where the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa is located, is not a Member of the SWIOFC. Moving the Secretariat to Mozambique (a Member state) occurs after the proposal by the Mozambican Government to host it.

After signing the Host Agreement on Wednesday, Mathiesen on Thursday attended the opening ceremony of the temporary office of SWIOFC’s Secretariat. The Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at FAO also took the opportunity of his visit to witness the launch of the Fisheries Museum by the Mozambique Minister of Fisheries, Víctor Manuel Borges. In his presentation at the launch, titled: "Fisheries and Aquaculture at global level vis-à-vis its contribution to FAO strategic objectives, national policies and linkages with global agenda on Oceans and Blue Growth Initiative", he approached the significance of fish as an "important source of protein and micro-nutrients" for a healthy diet, especially in low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs). In Mozambique, fish represents the most important source of animal protein in the population’s diet. Nutrition issues remain relevant and the Second International Conference on Nutrition will be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 19 – 21 November.

The Government of Mozambique, with FAO’s assistance, has set up a fisheries management system aimed at assuring sustainability of this important nutrition resource.