It is to contribute to reversing the course of things that the National Federation of Industries for the Processing and Valorization of Fishery Products (FENIP) is taking part in the United Nations Conference on the oceans held on Monday in Lisbon and calling on the international community to commit and unite to protect and preserve the seas. The federation is represented at this important conference by its President, Mr. Hassan SENTISSI EL IDRISSI, in order to find public and private professionals and strategic partners, exchange experiences and consider avenues of cooperation, as well as concrete actions in favor of durability.
Aquatic ecosystems at the heart of FENIP’s actions
The federation aims to learn about international advances in sustainability, and to highlight the importance of sustainability and its social, economic and environmental benefits.
Contacted by us, the President of FENIP argued that the sustainability of fisheries resources is a strategic pillar for the development of the sector, noting that it requires a rational exploitation of fisheries resources, in particular through fisheries management plans. and the reform of regulations on market size which, in addition to preserving the resource, will make it possible to improve the supply and valorization of products.
To do this, professionals in the processing of fishery products advocate a close partnership with the public authorities to allow resources to regenerate and reproduce themselves at levels of yield that are economically profitable, but ecologically sustainable.
That said, some of the most important measures included in the conduct of the Federation are to avoid overcapacity in fishing and to ensure that the exploitation of stocks remains economically viable, to adapt the economic conditions in which the fishing industries operate responsible fishing criteria, preserve the biodiversity of aquatic habitats and ecosystems and protect endangered species.
Eco-responsible driving
Concretely, FENIP has made sustainability a strategic focus of its development vision for 2030 alongside innovation and performance. In this regard, the federation carries out numerous training and awareness-raising actions for members, indicated the president of ASMEX, specifying that it contributes within the framework of a partnership with the Department of Maritime Fisheries and the Institute National Fisheries Research Institute (INRH) in piloting improvement programs for sardine and anchovy fisheries.
Through its strategic partnerships, FENIP is committed to actions in favor of the sustainability of fisheries resources, but also of the circular economy and production with a low carbon footprint. A shared vision with the ultimate objective of the United Nations event which was to highlight that “our failure to take care of the ocean will have repercussions for the entire 2030 agenda”.
Regarding the prospects for investment in the fisheries sector, Hassan Sentissi indicated that the pandemic has challenged the actors of the sector to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms, able to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries resources, highlighting the imperative of scientific research to support the management of fisheries resources and of integrated planning between various users of the coast. It calls for providing the sector with specific support, similar to what is done for the agricultural sector, highlighting the socio-economic importance of the fishing industry sector and its contribution, in particular through an export turnover exceeding 21 billion Dirhams to more than 130 destinations throughout the world.
That said, performance must be improved by favoring clean technologies, and by creating an adequate framework and incentive and support measures for profitable investment in the sector. “There is an urgent need to materialize this approach through a Public-Private Partnership that is up to the challenges to be met by 2030”, noted Mr. Sentissi.