COP 22-Hamed Said Al-Oufi: ” We want to maintain links with Africa”
COP 22-Hamed Said Al-Oufi: ” We want to maintain links with Africa” By Houmi Ahamed-Mikidache Since the seventies, the Sultan Qabous Bin Said introduced an economic diversification in Oman policy. Indeed, in 1976, the Sultanate adopted five-years plans in order to safeguard the financial and economic stability of the country with a balance development of the various governorates. The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the FAO works on a sustainable development action plan on the agricultural sector in the horizon 2040. With the aim to achieve food security, reduce importation of fruits and vegetables and to integrate the population in the agricultural sector. 98% of the technic to capture the fishes in Oman are traditional. Located in the middle east, in the south of the Arabia Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman has a strategic geographical position, with a very strong history shared with Eastern Africa ( trade, culture…). With an average population of 4 726 413 estimated in January 2016, the country is largely depend on the oil resources ( 9, 16 billions OR*, including 7, 7 billions OR of the oil net revenues). The agricultural and fisheries sectors play an important role in the daily lives of the omanis. These sectors represent 406.1 millions OR of the Oman GDP in 2014. Oman is exporting its products for many years in India, Africa and in the Gulf region…The fisheries sector increased slightly from 2013 to 2014, 211 000 fishes were captured in 2013, whereas in 2013, there were 206 000. In Oman, bottom trawling is prohibited as the Sultanate is committed to preserve the environment and the marine ecosystem. 98% of the technic to capture the fishes in Oman are traditional. Since 2014, the Sultanat of Oman has established a new program on aquaculture to help growing the fishing industry. In Duqm, an industrial zone, in the South of Muscat, the omani government has created in 2011 the economic authority Duqm. Dr Hamed Said Al Oufi,, Undersecretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth of the Sultanate of Oman was recently in Mauritius for the Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate Change. He gaves his view on Oman, Africa and blue economy Listen the interview of Mr Said Al Oufi Interview Minister of Fisheries Oman Second part of the interview ...
COP 22- Mauritius- Workshop and ministerial conference: Towards a sustainable blue econonomy in Africa-
COP 22- Mauritius- Workshop and ministerial conference: Towards a sustainable blue econonomy in Africa- By Houmi Ahamed-Mikidache Mauritius will organize a ministerial conference on Climate-smart Ocean Economies in Africa on September 1-2. Ahead of this conference, the World Bank is organizing its second journalists workshop from August August 29 to 31. A few months ago ( February 28 to March 4), the World Bank and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in collaboration with USAID and the West Africa Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission organized a workshop known as “The African Journalists for Sustainable Fisheries” in Ghana. The aim was to assist African journalists in producing accurate reporting on fisheries issues. The primary objective of the second workshop is to raise journalists’ awareness on the challenges and opportunities of the oceans economies and how it contributes to economic growth and improved livelihoods in Africa the bank said. 14 journalists will be invited from the priority countries of the program: Cabo Verde, Comoros, Ivory Cost, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Togo and 20 journalists from Mauritius. This workshop will deal with mix of technical themes related to oceans economies and mirroring the conference agenda: Fisheries and aquaculture, integrity of the coastline, ports and shipping, renewable energy, tourism, and finance. It will also include media training to sharpen journalists’ reporting skills. After the three days training, the 34 journalists from Africa will cover the ministerial conference. “Diversifying economies beyond land-based activities and along coasts all in a climate-intelligent way is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth globally”, the Bank emphasized in one of its report. The 22 UN Climate Change Conference ( COP 22) to be held for the second time in Africa, in Marrakech ( Morocco) will be an opportunity for this continent to implement the commitments made in Paris, according to some experts. The sustainable blue economy are part of the broader global action of COP 22, the bank recalled. ...