Morocco hosts meeting of African countries bordering the Atlantic

The African countries bordering the Atlantic opened Wednesday here a meeting to exchange experiences in fisheries and enhance partnership in the sector.

The African countries delegates will also discuss the coordination of fishing strategies, marketing policy and protection of halieutic resources.

The exchange of experiences in fish farming and processing, the improvement of seamen skills and coordination between African fish professionals will also be tackled during the encounter.

Moroccan prime minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi who met Wednesday with the participating African delegations called them to pool efforts to protect African sea resources which serve Africa's socioeconomic development process.

Morocco hosted last summer a four-month training session for the benefit of African fishermen, entrepreneurs and administrators operating in the fisheries sector.

The session, which was sponsored by the Japanese Overseas Cooperation Agency, included courses and workshops on latest fishing techniques and rational management of sea resources.

For their part, the African fish exporters and importers, who met last September in Morocco, decided to set up an association and install its headquarters in the Kingdom.

The Association, whose chairmanship has been entrusted to Moroccan Hassan Sentissi, seeks to protect Africa's halieutic resources and set up the soonest possible an African Bourse of sea products.

The Association will also see to the creation of an African fish transportation company and the launching of an African fish "label."