Gabon seeks Ivorian expertise to develop its small-scale deep-sea fishing industry – Developing small-scale deep-sea fishing could contribute to the industrialisation of the tuna industry in Gabon. To this end, a Gabonese delegation led by the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture was sent to Attécoubé Locodjro to visit the company Back et Fils in Côte d’Ivoire on 5 June 2023, according to the Ministry of Fisheries.
The purpose of the visit was not only to seek Back et Fils’ support, but also to familiarise itself with the management and organisation model for its fishing activities.
“The company has facilities for the manufacture and maintenance of boats, the manufacture of fishing gear and the maintenance of engines and navigation equipment. In addition to its fishing activities, it is also involved in practical training for young people in the fishing trades. It has 23 boats and around 200 employees. Annual production is around 380 tonnes. The products caught are made available to fish merchants”,
explains the Ministry of Fisheries.
The Gabonese delegation also learned a little more about the FAD (fish aggregating device) fishing technique used there.
“This is tuna fishing using traditional fibreglass boats known as vedettes. It consists of launching a fish aggregating device made up of buoys, ropes, weights and foliage, monitored by a pirogue that provides information on the appropriate moment for fishing. In this way, fishing remains selective and the cost of investigating stocks is minimised”,
continues the Ministry of Fisheries.
It should be noted that this mission is being carried out by the Ministry of Fisheries in Côte d’Ivoire at a time when the Gabonese authorities are looking for lasting solutions to the problem of the shortage of fish that has been observed for some time at the Centre d’appui à la pêche artisanale de Libreville (Capal).
Gabon seeks Ivorian expertise to develop its small-scale deep-sea fishing industry
