KINSHASA, DR Congo: June 25 (Xinhua) — The Congolese Agriculture Minister Vahamwiti Mukesyayira has urged economic operators, both national and international, to invest in the country’s fishing sector under the spirit of public-private partnership.
The minister was speaking on Sunday in Kinshasa during the celebration of the National Fish Day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) which was marked under the theme “Invest in fishing for the growth of the national economy.”
Minister Vahamwiti promised to give a new boost to the fishing sector in DR Congo. It’s estimated that the country has the potential to produce 707,000 tonnes of fish annually from its water bodies.
However, despite the potential, the country imports 150,000 tonnes of fish annually to supplement its annual production of about 240,000 tonnes of fish per year. Over 90 percent of the fish produced nationally is produced by small scale operators.
A number of challenges have prevented the growth of the sector, including lack of good quality inputs, lack of preservation infrastructure, absence of transformation equipment and uncontrolled fishing. (Xinhua)
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