SEASONAL CLOSURE FOR FISHING: THE MINISTER OF ANIMAL AND FISHERY RESOURCES ON VISIT TO ABIDJAN PORT TO ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEASURE

Activités portuaires Wednesday 04 October 2023

The Ivorian government has resolutely committed itself in preserving the fishery resources. To this end, it issued a decree prohibiting and establishing the seasonal closure of fishing in the Ivorian waters in order to enable biological rest of the resources as from the 1st July 2023.

In order to ensure the effective implementation of this measure, the Ministry in charge of Animal and Fishery Resources has carried out, follow up, monitoring and surveillance operations in collaboration with the administrative partners, including Abidjan Port Authority.

It is in this perspective that the top Executive of the Ministry, Mr Sidi Tiemoko TOURE made a visit to the Abidjan Port’s Fishing Terminal on Thursday 6 July 2023 together with Mr Hien Yacouba SIÉ, Managing Director of Abidjan Port Authority. The Minister successively visited the sorting and the auction hall (landing area for local fresh fishing) and the pier. At the end of his visit, he said that he was proud that the measure was enforced in Abidjan Port. ‘’ We have been able to notice that all the non-authorized boats were at berth in the port.” He declared.

He mainly explained that, faced with the continuous decline in sea fishery resources, the measure was aimed at preserving the fish stock and ensuring fishery restocking by avoiding overfishing.  Mr Sidi TOURE also mentioned that the measure is enforced in other countries on the West African Coast, namely Senegal and lastly he wanted to reassure consumers that provisions were made for the regular supply of markets with fishery products, so as to prevent any shortage.

Note that the seasonal closure of fishing is enforced over the period of 1 to 31 July 2023 as regards artisanal fishing, and from 1 July to 31 August 2023 for semi- industrial and industrial fishing.