The Yemeni Minister of fisheries, his Excellency Mohamed Shamlan discussed with Mr Abdellatif Belkouch, the Managing Director of the Centre for Marketing Information and Advisory Services of Fishery Products in the Arab Region (INFOSAMAK), the components of the technical project concerning the artisanal fisheries development and its integration in international trade, which is excecuted by INFOSAMAK centre whose budget dedicated to Yemen is around 600,000$.

This project aims at developing artisanal fisheries in Yemen, Djibouti and Morocco through the upgrading of fisheries, the strengthening of their contribution in the local economy and developing markets for fishery products and processing, and leading pillars for a better integration into international markets. Besides these aspects, the project aims at encouraging investment in the fisheries sector, while ensuring fisheries resources preservation.


Through this project, the fishermen's associations will receive training on good hygiene practices, handling, freezing, conservation board, development and marketing of fishery products.

At the meeting, Mr Shamlan praised the center efforts for the harmonious development of the fisheries sector in the Arab region in general and Yemen in particular.

For his part, Mr Belkouch emphasised that the project, which lasts 4 years includes visits to units of production and marketing of European countries for the benefit of the beneficiary associations and cooperatives to ascertain the latest developments in the fishery products of added value.

Mr Belkouch has also explained that field studies planned under the project frame are to determine the measures to be undertaken by the artisanal fishermen, and the authorities in charge of the sector in order to upgrade the boats / ships, landing sites, and storage facilities. In addition, other training sessions will focus on sensitizing workers in the industrial units to good practices for handling and processing of fisheries products of added value by using packaging machines.

The fisheries sector in the Arab region has a large number of artisanal fishermen. In fact, artisanal fishing provides about 80 to 90% of the total catch in the region, according to Mr Belkouch. He added that the sector needs a restructuring in accordance with the obligations and standards in international markets, specifically those of Europe which remainthe most important destination markets of fishery products of the Arab region.