NEPAD and ECCAS sign MoU...agree to strengthen fisheries governance...

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Midrand, 4/7/2011 - On Monday, the 27^th of June 2011, the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that is aimed at strengthening fisheries governance in central Africa.

The signing ceremony took place on the margins of the 17^th African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The MoU was signed by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, NEPAD Agency CEO and General Louis Sylvain-Goma, the Secretary General of ECCAS.

The agreement aims to support the implementation of joint efforts between the NEPAD Agency and ECCAS in assisting the Regional Fisheries Commission (Commission Regionale Des Peches Du Gulfe De Guinee – COREP) to strengthen its capacity to implement the regional fisheries strategy for central Africa.   

Specifically, the support will assist ECCAS to achieve the following objectives:

• Increasing the contribution of fisheries to economic growth and other socio-economic objectives and strengthening the role of fisheries the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) at the national and regional levels;
• To expedite integration of fisheries policy into the regional economic community agenda and processes, with COREP becoming a strong fisheries technical arm for ECCAS;
• Providing technical support to ECCAS in developing and implementing the Regional Plans of Action to reduce illegal fishing; and
• Developing the capacity of ECCAS Member States to design and implement fisheries policy and governance reforms which will enhance the integration of fisheries into the regional value chains whilst also improving access to international fish markets.

The NEPAD Agency’s support to ECCAS will result in strengthening human, institutional and professional capacities in the sub-region so as to enable ECCAS Members States to tap into the wealth-generation potential of their rich fisheries resources. This support has been made possible through funding from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), within the context of the Partnership for African Fisheries. 

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, Senior Fisheries Advisor, NEPAD Agency on: Emailsloansc@nepad.org; Tel: +27 (0)11 256 3600

For all media queries and requests for interviews contact: Gilles Eric Foadey on:

Email: erickf@nepad.org Tel: +27(0)12 841 4523 / Cell: +27(0)83 555 9696