COFREPECHE MISSION TO THE IORA SECRETARIAT IN NOVEMBER 2021

Since May 2020, COFREPECHE implements the technical assistance financed by the AFD for the Implementation of the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) Action Plan on Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Marine Environment. The strong focus of this technical assistance is on building the capacity of IORA and its Member States to achieve the fisheries, aquaculture and marine environment objectives listed in the Working Group Blue Economy Action Plan through the implementation of various activities also listed within that Plan.

The specific objectives of this Action Plan supported by the technical assistance are the following:

• To combat IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in IORA region;
• To promote sustainable fisheries management;
• To promote sustainable aquaculture development;
• To promote and implement open market access to fish trade, including aquaculture;
• To standardize Blue Carbon assessment methods in the Indian Ocean;
• To protect and conserve coastal and marine biodiversity through sustainable coastal and marine tourism;
• To assess the needs, capacities and capabilities of Member States in respect of the Blue Economy.

These objectives are achieved through the implementation of various activities over 3 years with the support of long-term and short-term technical assistance based within the AFD premises in Mauritius and covering the 23 IORA Members States.

The first week of November 2021 and thanks to an improvement of the international sanitary context, COFREPECHE could finally organise a mission to Mauritius in order to meet with the IORA Secretariat to discuss the technical assistance support and activities planned for the next 1,5 years. As part of COFREPECHE delegation were present, COFREPECHE Director of International Development and Project Director, the Main Resident Expert of the technical assistance (acting as team leader) and the aquaculture expert of the technical assistance. COFREPECHE and the IORA Secretariat had fruitful discussions on the technical assistance; IORA functioning and agreed on the way to move forward with the activities. COFREPECHE would like to thank the IORA Secretariat for its warm welcome and availability.