Myanmar’s Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation hosted the official launch of the Myanmar Sustainable Aquaculture Programme (MYSAP) in Naypyidaw.
The initiative will be developed over five years, with financial support from the European Union (EU) and the German government of EUR 22.25 million, reported Mizzima News.
The program´s purpose is to support the sustainable development of aquaculture in Myanmar over the course of five years. The programme also aims to help improving nutrition standards and food security, and to create livelihoods.
Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and a lack of preservation of fishery resources in Myanmar have led to a decline in aquaculture production. Therefore, the Department of Fisheries is taking action, said U Khin Maung Maw, Director General of the Department of Fisheries.
On his part, Kristian Schmidt, Ambassador of the European Union, said: “MYSAP will benefit children, nutrition, and many other Sustainable Development Goals, jobs, investments, trade, the environment and government capacity.”
With the program´s lauch, a consultation and drafting process of the National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP) was started, a document that establishes objectives with programmes, activities, resources and a schedule to achieve them.
The Department of Fisheries is facilitating the consultation process to draft an NADP that is in line with the 12-point national economic policy announced in 2016. Our goals are food security, increased export and the expansion of rural employment opportunities, granting fish farmers better access to credit, increasing private investment and competition in the fish sector, the Director General explained.
The first NADP meeting was carried out with government agencies and stakeholders from civil society and the private sector.
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