Africa-Press – Cape verde. The fishing village of Ribeira da Barca, in the municipality of Santa Catarina, in the interior of Santiago, now has another semi-industrial fishing vessel, an initiative by shipowner Leny Martins.
The launch of the 10-meter vessel, named “Deus Seja Louvado”, was presided over by the Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, who highlighted the creation of 12 jobs.
As the 44-year-old fishing captain recalled, the dream became reality thanks to funding from the Ministry of the Sea, through the Autonomous Fisheries Fund and the favorable ecosystem existing in Cape Verde.
Taking into account that the vessel was built by a local producer, it was committed to creating conditions for production/construction to be carried out more efficiently and effectively.
Also for the maritime sector, it announced the reactivation of the cold and ice production equipment at the Fish Transformation and Value Adding Unit (UTAV) using renewable energy.
On the occasion, the head of the Government also presided over the presentation of the “Mulheres de Ribeira da Barca” Cooperative, which he considered a “great instrument” that will help solve the problem of sand collection in that community that has the fishing sector as its main economic activity.
Therefore, he said he believes that the cooperative with more than 100 members is a sustainable alternative, as it is focused on the fishing sector and the blue economy, from the fishing itself, to the production and marketing of fish.
The new shipowner Leny Martins was happy to be fulfilling a childhood dream of having his own boat to serve the community, to reduce unemployment and boost the local economy.
The fishing captain also noted that this dream was not postponed any longer because of the support from the Government, through the Autonomous Fisheries Fund.
The president of the “Mulheres de Ribeira da Barca” Cooperative, Maria Furtado, praised the creation of this organization, which will do everything to support both through credit, training and qualification so that women from that fishing village, today with health problems, Never get sand on Charco Beach again.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
