DILI, 11 july 2022 (TATOLI)– Bidau fisherman, José da Silva, urges the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) to prioritize the fishing industry in Timor-Leste, for the country’s economic sustainability.
According to da Silva, so far MAF has only focused on agriculture but has less attention to the fishing industry, saying therefore until now they have not received the support of facilities from MAF.
“Based on our observation, MAF pays attention to the agricultural sector and ignores the fisheries sector which is also considered an important sector for the sustainability of the country’s economy. We also have very limited fishing facilities but we have not received any facilities support from MAF,” da Silva told Tatoli in Bidau Santana Dili, yesterday.
According to da Silva, Timor-Leste has quality fish but less attention from Gov’t on the fisheries sector.
“We have quality fish in our seas, but MAF has not focused on optimizing marine wealth properly if the facilities are adequate and all fishermen are well trained, it will generate more income and contribute to the country’s economic growth,” he said.
da Silva said they have submitted a proposal to MAF regarding the facilities they need, but there has been no response from MAF regarding their request.
“We have submitted a proposal to MAF through the Department of Fisheries to consider our difficulties but so far no response from MAF,”
At the same place he explained the reasons local fish were more expensive than imported fish, saying they have limited and inadequate fishing facilities, lack of knowledge and skills about fishing methods, and external factors, such as severe climatic events: “So these are the reasons why local fish prices are higher than imported fish in supermarkets,” he said
Following the report from the WorldFish, fishers in the remote communities face issues of traveling long distances to markets, bad roads, and lack of cold storage that limits frequent and fresh supply.
Boosting catches of less-exploited species, combined with a strengthening of fisheries value chains in Timor-Leste, can therefore help realize the potential of fish in enhancing nutrition and food security across Timor-Leste.
Since Timor-Leste has a quality fish in the sea and Timorese people depend on fishing for their primary livelihood, in 2010 World fish has been working with the Gov’t MAF to harness the power of fisheries and aquaculture to improve livelihoods.
This has been achieved by improving access and availability of fish through technology combined with improved management of capture fisheries, development of freshwater aquaculture, and improving the distribution of benefits through value chains.
These efforts are part of the CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food System and support the Timor-Leste Government’s Strategic Development Plan(2011–2030), which calls for an increase in fisheries productivity to enable diversified diets and boost employment in the sector.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor : Nelia Borges
