Millions of people around the world depend on marine resources for food, recreational activities such as fishing, scientific research, transportation, mineral exploration, and tourism, among many others. Fishing plays a significant economic and traditional role in São Tomé and Príncipe, serving as a primary source of income for a large part of the population, for whom seafood is the main source of protein. The fisheries sector in São Tomé and Príncipe is exclusively artisanal and provides employment to thousands of people, representing the main source of family income after cocoa. Fishing mainly targets small pelagic species, and there is currently no industrial fishing by locals due to a lack of infrastructure. From the perspective of a gradual transition from fishing to sustainable aquaculture, the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries is continuously working toward the sustainable development of the fisheries sector, based on the understanding of various biological aspects. This includes integrating management, protection, and conservation measures, as well as the development of scientific and technical knowledge to enable the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and the establishment of marine farming technologies.
Direcção das Pescas e Aquacultura in ACUICONECTA: the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries will provide information on the legal aspects regulating aquaculture in São Tomé and Príncipe and will support the organization and implementation of training activities and interventions planned by project beneficiaries in the region. These activities will focus on transferring protocols and technologies developed in the project to help establish sustainable aquaculture in the islands.
Go to the website of the Direcção das Pescas e Aquacultura (São Tomé and Príncipe)