Africa-Press – Angola. The catch of fish by artisanal fishermen in the commune of Barra do Cuanza, urban district of Ramiros and neighborhood of Buraco, in the municipalities of Belas and Talatona has fallen, since last December, from six thousand kilograms/month to less than one thousand, a down about 90 percent of the usual total figure.
Small-scale fishing shipowners point to fishing with trawlers and weather conditions on the sea coast between the commune of Barra do Cuanza/Ramiros/Benfica and Mussulo as some of the causes for the reduction in the amount of fish caught in the region in recent years. three months.
The president of the artisanal fishing cooperative Hady Wabo (a word from the national Kimbundu language that means “suffering is over” in Portuguese), João Francisco, told that trawling, considered illegal, is being carried out by industrial and semi-industrial vessels. -industrial, a situation that also puts marine biodiversity at risk and directly affects artisanal fishing.
“Trawling vessels cause considerable damage to the members’ fishing equipment, for example, this year more than a thousand meters of net were destroyed by these vessels, which fish in areas established for small vessels about six miles away in the region of Barra do Cuanza ”, he lamented.
Another issue that has contributed to the low catch of fish, he pointed out, is the weather situation – the lunar period, a lot of heat that is felt and lack of rain, since the shoals emerge when it rains.
According to the official, the trawlers approach five miles, in order to capture shrimp, cuttlefish and other marine species rare and valuable for human consumption, ending up dragging algae and small fish (cabuenha).
He added that trawling boats carry nets and barges from artisanal fishermen and capture protected species.
In turn, artisan fishing owner Luís Francisco, operating between Benfica/km-32 and Ramiros/Mussulo, pointed out another situation, which he considered bad, the use of explosives by some fishing operators to capture fish in the region. .
He underlined, “In this area there are no trawlers, but we have another problem are the grenadiers (individuals who use explosives for fishing), this is the biggest concern, actions carried out almost every day”
Authorities unable to monitor
Meanwhile, the head of the Fiscal Police in the Cabo Ledo/Barra do Cuanza and Ramiros region, inspector Lourenço André, recognizes the phenomenon, but made it known that the institution lacks the means of land and water transport to carry out inspections.
The practice of dragging is done, normally, during the night so as not to escape inspection.
Since last February, the authorities have carried out a campaign called “Cabuenha”, with an indefinite term. It is being aimed at artisanal fishing communities and is carried out by a multisectoral team made up of elements from the Fiscal Police, Port Authority of Luanda and the local Agriculture and Fisheries department.
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