New structure of the national strategic plan for the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Sao Tomé and Principe
April 10 2024, Sao Tomé and Principe – Technical assistance from the EAF-Nansen Programme aimed at strengthening the political and legal frameworks of Sao Tomé and Principe is anchored in the legal report on the ecosystem approach to fishing in Sao Tomé and Principe, published in 2023 by FAO after approval by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries (MADRP).
The national validation workshop of the Annotated Structure of the National Strategic Plan for Fisheries and Aquaculture (PENPA) was held in São Tomé on April 10, 2024, organized by MADRP/Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture, with the support of FAO.
PENPA aims to ensure that the authorities of Sao Tomé and Principe have a specific strategic document for the sector within ten years (2024-2034) to complement existing fishing legislation.
At the opening of the workshop, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Mr Abel Bom Jesus, reminded participants that "the absence of a programming framework for the implementation implementation of the national fisheries policy or its application according to the defined strategies, will create a situation which will aggravate the poverty of fishing communities and lead to the destruction of the fishing heritage, one of the main resources of the country."
Abel Bom Jesus also stressed that "we should not continue to exploit fisheries resources outside of the basic principles of sustainable management, without taking into account the vision of the Blue Transformation, which aims to create sustainable aquatic food systems capable to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. It is urgent to use the tools available to manage them correctly, always keeping in mind that resources are scarce and that guaranteeing their sustainability must be an inviolable principle", and thanked FAO for continuing to work hand in hand with the authorities of Sao Tomé and Principe to promote sustainable development.
During the opening of the event, Olávio Aníbal, representative of the FAO Representation in the country, noted that there is a downward trend in the availability of marine fisheries resources and stated that "as a measure to reverse this situation, the need to act proactively is inevitable, therefore, under the leadership of FAO, the implementation of a national strategic plan for fisheries and aquaculture in a vision ten-year period 2024-2034 is underway, through the EAF-Nansen Programme, as well as within the framework of FISH4ACP, the preparation of the fisheries management plan is underway, the process of which began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2024."
It should be recalled that the process of developing the PENPA (2024-2034) was launched during a national workshop promoted by MADRP/DPA and FAO in Sao Tome on October 17 and 18, 2023, at the end of which consultations were held with a wide range of stakeholders and field visits/interviews took place at selected artisanal and semi-industrial fishing landing points.
As part of this technical assistance from FAO, it is also worth highlighting the development of the General Regulations for Fishing Activities, which was submitted to His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries in February 2024 and which is awaiting approval by the Council of Ministers.
About the Programme
The EAF-Nansen Programme is a longstanding partnership between FAO and Norway, dating back to 1975. In collaboration with 32 countries across Africa and the Bay of Bengal, the Programme is improving fisheries policies and management practices in line with the ecosystem approach to fisheries and developing the capacity of fisheries institutions to ensure sustainable fisheries management.
In doing so, it the programme is contributing to food and nutrition security and supporting partner countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of ongoing initiatives such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science, as well as FAO’s vision for Blue Transformation of aquatic food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all.