Mr. Chairman,
FAO Representative,
SADC Representative,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With profound gratitude and highest appreciation, kindly allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for the honour you have bestowed upon me in officiating the opening of this important workshop.
While doing so, allow me Mr. Chairman to also extend my warm welcome to all the participants and particularly to those who have crossed Tanzanian border to come to this spice Island of Zanzibar. Your choice of this Island as a Venue for your conference has been the most appropriate and this you will prove your selves during your short stay. I say KARIBU and you are guaranteed of the highest degree of hospitality.
Mr Chairman, I can see that all participants are set to deliberate on the agenda of this workshop. I am told this Conference will discuss issues pertaining to “Harmonization Policy and strategies” for fishing Industry in SADC Countries.
You can’t be wiser than what you are in your topic selection, given the importance of co-operation that SADC countries must strive to achieve. As we continue to show our concern and seriousness on the need to achieve higher degree of fisheries Harmonization with in our region, bilateral and multilateral partners would think of extending their helping hands.
At this juncture, allow me Mr Chairman to take this opportunity to recognize the presence of our distinguished friends who represent their respective SADC member countries - Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania. I am informed that our gathering here today has been made possible through the financial assistance of the FAO in particular, through collaborative hands of SADC. Let me assure you distinguished representatives, that your involvement and valuable assistance in the Implementation of this undertaking is highly appreciated by us all.
Mr Chairman, the Workshop as I am told, is part of an implementation process of SADC Treaty which calls for, enhancing, inter alia, greater economic co-operation between member states which I believe will honour this bold decision for future well being. I am therefore sure, Mr. Chairman that this workshop will take time to deliberate on this issue and will eventually find common strategies for Implementation. However, optimistic SADC Countries might be, yet they have to take special and serious concern on issues pertaining to the exchange of information on crucial issues such as research, technology so as to have consistent management systems both in territorial and deep sea grounds. We have to strive to encourage the flow of information, capital and technology into our region if we have complete in the world market.
There is a need Mr Chairman to see to it that our policies are geared towards creation of enabling environment for common trade technology and to strengthen and establish institutions for providing relevant support services and to enhance participation of the sector in order to ensure spontaneous and sustainable fisheries.
Mr Chairman, I will do injustice to this conference if I don’t make my own contribution to this workshop. Mr Chairman, we have experienced that dependence on the artisanal fishery make unpredictable economy. We have to find a way out of this problem. We need to adjust our investment policies and regulation to encourage Foreign Direct Investment into our countries. Our present regulations are so bureaucratic and repulsive that they discourage investors to invest in our areas. Our human resources, the major resource we have is neither skilled nor well prepared to take up the emerging high tech employment opportunities.
Proper training and effective communication strategies among the member States are glaring needs for building human capacity in all cadres. This will make us to have an optimal expertise and human resource development, which will engage in the responsible use of the living aquatic resources on the basis of equity, participation effectiveness and mutual benefit. This should incorporate the exchange of researchers whom, among other things, their main obligation is to give information on the stock assessment and migratory species with particular emphasis in encouraging research into technologies to exploit not only unutilized but also under utilized living aquatic resources within the region.
We need to increase our investment in human capital with a view to attract export-led fisheries industry so as to enable us to plan for our place in the global market bearing in mind that investors are mobile and they always look for better environment. This is another issue that needs to be addressed in the context of National fisheries development.
Mr. Chairman, once again, I wish to reaffirm my country’s support to the goal and objectives of SADC. I wish you all very successful deliberations in your workshop and a pleasant stay in Zanzibar.
With those humble remarks, I have the pleasure in declaring this workshop open.
I thank you for your attention.
