The second edition of the High-Level Conference of the Blue Belt Initiative was held Tuesday in Agadir, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki.
Organized in partnership with the International Halieutis Fair, this conference attracted more than 270 participants, representing 32 countries, and 24 delegations led by ministers from Africa, Europe, the Middle East and international organizations.
This conference is an international platform for South-South cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture as a key factor in the blue economy.
In his inaugural speech, Sadiki stressed the important role of fisheries and aquaculture products in food security, noting that the Blue Belt Initiative is an ideal tool to implement actions aimed at achieving food security, especially in light of the fight against climate change.
The Conference’s second edition was an opportunity to review the progress achieved since the first one in 2019, including cooperation agreements and projects undertaken in member countries.
Additionally, participants discussed challenges and ways to promote the Blue Belt Initiative in the future.
In parallel to this conference, several bilateral agreements were signed between Morocco and several countries such as Liberia, Benin and the Ivory Coast to advance scientific and technical research through oceanographic exploration campaigns with the help of the Moroccan scientific ship.
On another note, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests plans to establish, through the Blue Belt Initiative’s collaborative platform, a cooperation fund to mobilize resources to support sustainable aquaculture, and fisheries development projects in member countries.
