“The role of aquaculture in the fight against food insecurity in Africa” was the theme of the round table jointly organized by the Embassy of Morocco and the Embassy of the United States in Oslo.
This event brought together, in addition to the Moroccan delegation, representatives of the Norwegian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Industry and Fisheries, of the Norwegian Development Agency, of the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, as well as The participation of representatives of the ambassadors of Portugal and Ghana, Spain and Iceland.
In her intervention, the ambassador of Morocco to Norway highlighted the importance of aquaculture as a key lever to strengthen food security in Africa. Nabila Freidji, highlighted Morocco’s strategic role, both as a regional leader and central player in Atlantic cooperation, thanks to its innovative initiatives to increase fishery production while preserving coastal ecosystems.
It also mentioned the Royal Initiative for the Atlantic, which offers landlocked countries in the Sahel access to maritime resources and integration into global value chains.
For his part, the permanent secretary of the Atlantic African States process, highlighted the importance of the royal initiative as an integrated framework aimed at promoting harmonious development in the Atlantic African region.
Tarik Iziraren has also stressed the considerable efforts made by the Kingdom to improve maritime connectivity, a necessary condition to strengthen regional integration in this part of Africa and boost its participation in global trade.
Norwegian participants presented, during the round table, several international cooperation programs, such as Fish for Development, Oceans for Development and the EAF-Nansen program, which emphasize innovation, strengthening technical capacities and Applied research.
These initiatives aim to promote sustainable management of marine resources, strengthen food security and improve the socio-economic conditions of local communities.
On the American side, the speakers stressed the importance of shared responsibility in the Atlantic space and pleaded for increased collaboration in order to make aquaculture a food security engine in Africa.
The discussions highlighted the need to adopt an integrated approach which combines public authorities, private sector and research institutions to improve the sustainability, resilience and competitiveness of the aquaculture sector.
Morocco
