Russia, Angola discussing possibility of opening joint fish processing enterprises - Rosrybolovstvo

MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Russia and Angola are considering creating joint fish processing enterprises as part of their cooperation in the fishery sector, the Russian Federal Fishery Agency (Rosrybolovstvo) said following its head Ilya Shestakov's meeting with Angolan Secretary of State for Fisheries and Marine Resources Alvaro da Cunha Candido dos Santos on the sidelines of the Global Fishery Forum in St. Petersburg.

"Options for cooperation in fish processing, including the creation of joint enterprises and technology exchanges, were discussed," it said.

The parties also focused on Rosrybolovstvo's Great African Expedition, next year's phase of which is due to take place in Angola's territorial waters. Shestakov proposed forming a research group made up of Russian and Angolan specialists, who will be tasked with preparing studies to evaluate the biomass of demersal (bottom-dwelling) and small pelagic fish species and look into their habitat.

The Angolan official, for his part, said that it is necessary to consider the possibility of Russian specialists teaching Angolan students. Angola is also interested in studying Russia's experience in aquaculture and fish food production.

As previously reported, the 2024-2026 Great African Expedition was launched in August 2024 to study the stocks of marine biological resources in African countries' exclusive economic zones. Two research vessels of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography - the Atlantida and the Atlantniro - are participating in the expedition. They will conduct large-scale studies of biological resources in the coastal zones of 19 countries on Africa's western coast from Morocco to Angola, as well as in the western part of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Eritrea, Oman, Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

The expedition is taking place in accordance with a Russian government decree dated June 19, 2024. An order to organize the expedition was issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin following the Russia-Africa forum held in 2023.