Angola's Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Carmen dos Santos, and China's Minister of Rural Development and Fisheries, Zhang Zhu, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral co-operation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, with particular focus on international fisheries governance.

The agreement was formalised during a working visit by the Angolan minister to the People's Republic of China, during which she took part in various institutional and business meetings with Chinese investors with interests in Angola.

Both sides highlighted the development of existing co-operation in the fisheries sector and identified priority areas for deepening, including aquaculture, long-distance fishing and international coordination on the sustainable management of marine resources. The significance of the Chinese presence in fishing activity in Angola was also underlined, with approximately half of the fleet operating in the country being of Chinese origin.

At a strategic level, Angola has expressed interest in benefiting from Chinese experience in areas such as aquaculture, scientific research and human resource training, with a view to strengthening national capacity and the sustainable development of the sector.

(Source: O País, on 26 May)