Africa-Press – Cape verde. The national director of Fisheries and Aquaculture assured this Friday, in Mindelo, that the Government is “carefully” following the development of the process regarding the alleged partnership between the canning company Frescomar and a Spanish company to obtain fish.
Carlos Monteiro reacted in this way to the information reported today by Rádio Pública (RCV) that the Ports management company (Enapor) summoned the canning company Frescomar to provide clarifications, as sub-concessionaire, about an agreement that links it to another Spanish company, which is allegedly operating in the fishing sector from São Vicente.
The national director of Fisheries and Aquaculture assured that this is an issue that is being duly analyzed and considered and the Government will certainly give “all the attention and all the interest” that this process has for Cape Verde, for shipowners and for fishing in general.
“I think that Enapor is leading the dossier and as soon as possible we will have a statement from the Government and Enapor so that, in fact, it is definitively clarified”, highlighted Carlos Monteiro, for whom the most important thing is that “things work well and with transparency”.
Asked how the entry of new companies into fishing could harm national shipowners, the national director said he does not see things this way, when he just wants “the concession to work in the best possible way, with complete transparency and with complete smoothness”.
Furthermore, he argued, the “Country needs new ships and needs investments”.
When asked about the agreement previously made public and in which the State promised to help national operators obtain a fleet with larger boats that allow them to fish further afield, Carlos Monteiro explained that he is now in “different times”.
“Shipowners must definitely understand that we are not in the 80s or 90s, in which the State had a strong and active participation. Today, this activity is more transferred to the private sector”, he launched, recommending national shipowners to join and organize themselves.
“In an organized, business way, with larger boats, therefore, they can have more autonomy, lower operating costs and have better effective results. This is what shipowners have to understand, that the State, yes, can encourage, can support, can help, but the State cannot finance”, he added.
When confronted about the matter, the representative of the Association of Fishing Shipowners of Cape Verde (Apesc), Suzano Vicente, recalled that the fishing capacity of national shipowners has been debated for a long time and now the State “cannot simply redeem this responsibility and leave that other companies, other institutions resolve this issue.”
“We know that Frescomar has a production problem, due to the lack of raw materials and it tends, therefore, to resolve these issues, now it is up to the State to know how to regulate this situation so that businesspeople, national shipowners do not have to go through these situations”, he considered.
On the other hand, he believes that the entry of other companies into the Fishing Complex, in São Vicente, needs to be resolved by the Enapor concessionaire, which must take a position.
As for Apesc, Suzano Vicente confirmed that he should meet with the partners on Monday, the 13th, and from then on, take a position on the matter, also depending on Enapor’s decision.
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