2023-07-10 10:24:38
66 fishing boats are expected to renew their licenses, the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy said recently.
This renewal coincides with the application of fishing fees, which are on the rise. This approach should make it possible to collect up to 3.6 billion ariary in fishing royalties this year. For the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, an increase of five to seven times in fishing fees is notably expected.
The optimism of this ministerial department exceeds the estimate of the government which provides 1.8 billion ariary in royalties thanks in particular to the renewal of the license of industrial fishing boats.
However, there remains a major challenge for the Ministry of Fisheries to overcome, namely the delimitation of fishing zones for industrial operators and artisanal fishermen. Traditional fishermen have a specific fishing zone, while shrimp fishing boats make their catch beyond 2,000 nautical miles, and tuna fishing boats at more than 8,000 nautical miles. However, the application of the texts remains difficult in reality.
Shortly after Paul Mahatante took office as Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Madagascar joined the FiTI (Fisheries Transparency Initiative), a global fisheries transparency initiative, earning praise from environmental protection NGO. The first report of FitI Madagascar covering the calendar year 2022 is thus expected next December. The government will thus have to make its fishing agreements accessible to the public, a step that has long been demanded by civil society groups, which have criticized the opacity of the sector.
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