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Virtual meeting, 31 May and 2 June 2022

Fisheries are often central to the achievement of economic, social and environmental development goals, especially for island nations, where marine resources have been a cornerstone in their societies for millennia. In Cabo Verde, tuna and black mackerel have been identified as target species for value chain enhancement following close consultations with national stakeholders. Working in collaboration with national partners in Cabo Verde, SVC4SIDS aims to foster economic growth by developing value addition activities, improving opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), all the while safeguarding environmental sustainability.

The value chain mapping workshop on tuna and black mackerel was held virtually, with three sessions between 31 May and 2 June. The workshop was attended by FAO representatives and experts, the public sector namely the Ministério do Mar, Instituto do Mar (IMar), and Inspeção-Geral das Pescas (IGP), as well as the private sector (FRESCOMAR and SUCLA). There were a total of 15 participants, including Mr Albertino Martin, National Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Ms Iolanda Brites, National Coordinator of the Blue Economy Programme.

The first session gave a brief overview of progress, introducing the methodological framework for value chain analysis and the draft mappings for the tuna and black mackerel value chains. This was followed by an open and interactive discussion, which brought together the opinions of the group to establish a concrete overview and cooperative contact with national representatives. The first session was followed by two focus groups, held with the public and the private sector respectively. The focus groups provided detailed feedback to validate the mappings, and expanded the discussion on challenges and areas for improvements for the associated value chains.