The Minister for the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Lídia Cardoso, revealed on Wednesday 13 March that the sector has seen an increase in the number of artisanal fishermen registered in the country’s various fishing centres.
According to Cardoso, the total rose to 12 per cent in 2022, with more than 397,000 fishermen, compared to 2012 when there were only 352,000.
“The results of the 2022 Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture census show that there has been progress in the area of artisanal fishing, which demonstrates the importance of this activity for the national economy,” she emphasised.
She also said that there are currently 1,600 fishing centres in Mozambique and stressed that the Executive is committed to promoting the sustainable development of the fishing sector, making artisanal fishing a benchmark.
Data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance indicates that fishing production in the country will reach 496.3 thousand tonnes in 2023, a growth of 9% compared to the results of 2022, when 455.5 thousand tonnes were recorded.
According to the budget execution report for January to December, last year’s performance was above the target of 474.5 thousand tonnes.
“Artisanal fishing led the way, with 466.4 thousand tonnes, followed by commercial fishing (industrial and semi-industrial), with 20.5 thousand, and aquaculture production stood at 9.5 thousand tonnes,” she concluded.
