The bluefin tuna fishing quota reserved for Algeria will increase from 1,650 to 2,023 tonnes for next year’s campaign.
During a plenary session of the National People’s Assembly (APN) devoted to oral questions, the Minister of Fisheries and Fish Production, Hicham Sofiane Salaouatchi, explained that this decision was taken at the last meeting of the Commission International Conference for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas “ICCAT”, organized in Portugal last November.
The Minister considered that the decision constitutes a “success” for Algeria thanks to the consultations carried out by the Algerian delegation during this meeting.
The Algerian fleet that participated in the fishing campaign for this year (2022) had 29 vessels, including two locally manufactured vessels with national capacities, the minister also indicated, stressing that by the end of 2023, three (3 ) new large vessels will be received, which are currently under construction in Algerian workshops.
Concerning the high prices of fish, the Minister affirmed that his sector was working to set up a mechanism to regulate the market and lift the monopoly on certain fishery products, through the creation of fishing cooperatives and the strengthening the role of the fishing chambers.
Mr. Salaouatchi also mentioned, in this context, the initiative launched on Thursday at the Place des Martyrs (Algiers), relating to the sale of gilthead seabream at 990 DA and red tilapia at 550 DA, in order to allow the citizen to buy them at reasonable prices.
Responding to a question on the deadlines for classifying the activity of fishing among arduous occupations, Mr. Salaouatchi revealed that the draft orientation law relating to fishing and aquaculture, currently under study at the level of the General Secretariat of the Government, devoted a chapter to the protection of fishing and aquaculture professionals, considered among the “main chapters” which work towards better management of the category of fishermen, through the introduction of specific provisions in the status of fishing professionals, the consecration of socio-professional achievements, and the creation of new mechanisms for the supervision of professionals.
He also added that his ministerial department was working in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security to prepare a roadmap aimed at promoting the social security system for the category of fishermen, improving administrative procedures that fishermen undergo, and the management of the exhausting nature of the fishing professions.
Responding to a question on the procedures taken to lift the freeze on a project to build an aquaculture farm in fresh water at the Hriza station (wilaya of Ain Defla) affiliated with the National Center for Research and Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CNRDPA), the Minister indicated that “the project is not affected by the freezing procedures”, stressing that “the sector is currently looking for the best ways to relaunch the project”.
In another response to the measures relating to the aquaculture and fisheries strategy at the local level, the Minister recalled the main axes on which his sector depended and relating to an investment in aquaculture, in addition to updating the deep-sea fishing fleet, encouraging fish product manufacturing industries, increasing fish production, creating cooperatives, addressing the concerns of fishermen and strengthening their rights professional and social.
In this context, he indicated that fish production in Algeria has grown by 19% during the current year.
