Every year, the country loses nearly 90 hectares of mangrove forest, a phenomenon that, according to the Minister of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), Augusta Maíta.
According to the leader, speaking in Maputo in the wake of the VII Coordination Council of the sector, along with the challenge of restoration, there is the need to stop this wave of degradation, mainly due to the deliberate action of Man.
“The presence of the sector must be effective, in coordination with other entities that work in the mangrove area. The National Program imposes concrete goals for each province, so our direct involvement in the mobilization of the population for mangrove restoration actions is essential”, she ordered.
Augusta Maíta referred that the materialization of the Mangal Management Strategy 2020-2024 cannot focus only on reforestation. Actions such as capacity building and institutional coordination, enforcement and legislation, environmental education and awareness, research and knowledge management, protection and sustainable use of this ecosystem, should also figure in the range of activities to be developed around this desideratum.
“Through interaction with partners, we are mobilizing resources for our activities to have the sustenance and success that we desire. Fortunately, awareness about this global concern for mangroves is a reality, so we are excited and encouraged to pursue this end,” he said.
In the event that takes place under the slogan “Together in Protecting and Restoring Our Sea” the minister spoke about the challenges of the sector in establishing security strategies and combating illegal fishing.
He highlighted the need for a sophistication of means and forms of illegal and unreported fishing, and the marketing of fish resulting from this practice, among other offenses and crimes related to marine and coastal ecosystems, are challenges that do not fit only in the Sector of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries.
