[09/May/2012]

SANA'A, May 09 (Saba) - The European Union (EU) has approved the allocation of €10 million to finance a number of fishery projects in Yemen.

The statmenet was made by the EU delegation's Head and ambassador Michele Cervone d'Urso during his meeting with Minister of Fisheries Wealth Awadh al-Socatri.

The EU's fund is allocated to several projects, particualry a study of fish stocks, the expansion of fish-farming projects and the coastal comminties and fishermen capacities' development.

Al-Socatri and d'Urso reviewed the ongoing preparations for a meeting of donors for the fishery sector to be held next June to determine the support trends and to coordinate donors' efforts to cover all realted areas.

They also discussed the achieved steps in restructuring the fishery sector and the national strategy for the fishery sector development, which the EU contributed to by $7 million under the fifth fish project.

During the meeting, the minister stressed the need to focus on supporting the coastguard forces as a key partner in the protection of fisheries wealth, pointing to the difficulties the fishermen face due to the sea piracy that has led to the decline of the fish production to record levels.

D'Urso expressed the EU's readiness to support the Ministry's efforts to improve the promising fishery sector in Yemen, stressing the importance of completing the projects funded by the donors previously in order to begin new projects.

AF
Saba