MAPUTO, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) agreed with the Mozambican Ministry of the Sea, Interior Waters and Fisheries on Monday in Maputo to provide technical support for a period of two years (2021-2022) to help the country fight non-reported and non-regulated illegal fishing.

"The plan focuses on the revision and improvement of the policy, legal, institutional and operational frameworks with a view to facilitate the implementation of the Agreement of Port States Measures and strengthen the mechanism to combat illegal fishing in Mozambique," said the FAO representative in Mozambique, Hernani Coelho da Silva.

The technical assistance plan to combat illegal fishing will be placed in the ports of Beira, Nacala and Maputo, south, center and north of the country respectively.

The agreement will allow the country to reduce losses to benefit more than 60 percent of population that depends on fishery to earn their living.

The Mozambican Minister of the Sea, Interior Waters and Fisheries, Augusta Maita welcomed the technical support and said it will strengthen local efforts and capacities for an effective fight against illegal fishing.

"By its nature, the Indian Ocean is a place rich in fishing resources that sustain a prosperous fishing industry, which has a commercial value that makes it one of the main targets for practice of non-reported and non-regulated illegal fishing," said the minister.

The minister praised regional coordination, brotherhood and partnership as fundamental for better preparation, efficiency and strength to put a stop in non-reported and non-regulated illegal fishing and to advance the country's development process.

FAO's partnership with the government of Mozambique dates from the 1970s and it has been supporting in different sectors namely agriculture, livestock, forest and fishing among others. Enditem

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