Congo-Italy cooperation, Amoroso: artisanal fishing as a lever for sustainable development – During the Congo-Italy Business Forum held in Brazzaville (Congo) on 26 and 27 May, a memorandum of understanding, “PROJET DE MEMORANDUM D’ENTENTE”, was signed between Minister Paul Valentin NGOBO, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Congo, the President of the AIC Pesca Association, Natale Amoroso, and Otto Bitjoka, President of UCAI (UNION DES COMMUNAUTES AFRICAINES D’ITALIE), to seal the collaboration between AIC Pesca, UCAI and Congo for economic development and the promotion of fishing and tourism initiatives, which will last for 5 years.
In particular, the agreement provides for:
- Identification of good practices;
- Training of the fishing community in sustainable fishing and tourism;
- Identification and promotion of typical local fish products;
- Cooperation between sea and river fishing activities;
- Training of local actors towards a model of permanent economy and projects of common interest.
To ensure that the protocol does not remain on paper, the Congolese government, AIC Pesca and UCAI are committed to supporting and guaranteeing all the activities necessary to establish stable and lasting cooperation to achieve the objectives, while promoting sustainable fishing and tourism in the African country.
For its part, the Congolese Ministry undertakes to take all necessary measures to facilitate the use of good practices in fishing tourism with the aim of supporting fishermen’s incomes and fish tourism, or “experiential tourism”, where guests immerse themselves in local life, in order to implement measures to control the quality and food safety of fishery products.
‘The Congo is a country rich in resources, but imports of fish products exceed domestic production,“ says Natale Amoroso, president of AIC Pesca, ‘which is why our association has made itself available to provide the Congo with its entrepreneurial experience in fishing, fishing tourism and fish tourism”.
“We want to be protagonists and in line with the Italian government’s Mattei Plan, which identifies various economic development paths for certain African countries, including Congo, for the enhancement of local and artisanal fishing and local culinary culture as a source of synergy between fishing, catering and tourism,‘ emphasises Amoroso, ’as our association has important areas of excellence that can offer qualified training to local fishermen, including through shared programmes and intercultural exchange between the two countries.”
The President of the Italian Farmers’ Association (AIC), Giuseppino Santoianni, whose organisation gave rise to AIC Pesca, expressed his support for the agreement, stating:
“The sustainable development of fishing is now a strategic frontier for ensuring food security, economic inclusion and the enhancement of the territory. As an association in the primary sector, we can only welcome any initiative that, like this one, promotes an integrated approach between natural resources, local knowledge and community training. Fishing, like family farming, is a safeguard of life and work: supporting fishermen means strengthening the roots of a solid, sustainable and fair local economy.”
Congo-Italy cooperation, Amoroso: artisanal fishing as a lever for sustainable development
