COP 22- COMOROS- Blue Economy: A Training programme on sustainable seafood processing will be held in September
By Houmi Ahamed-Mikidache
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) will organize September 1-2 in Comoros a workshop on “sustainable seafood handling, post-harvest processing, storage of fisheries and aquaculture products”, in parallel of a Ministerial Conference on Climate-smart Ocean Economies in Africa to be held in Mauritius. IORA organizers said this workshop will help its Member States to minimize looses and preserve the quality and safety of fishery products.
Three years after the first Ministerial Blue Economy Conference in Mauritius in September 2013, The Indian Ocean Rim Association, comprised of 21 countries wants to understand and to implement the post-harvest processing techniques, handling and storage.
Two million people are part of IORA which is in the world’s third largest ocean. The Indian Ocean is seen as the world’s preeminent seaway for trade and commerce. But it is also one the most affected by Climate Change, experts said.The development of Blue Economy means for IORA Members states that it can provide new employment, skill sets and capacities. It can promote entrepreneurship in new areas of economy activity, facilitate the interconnectedness of the regional economy, and contribute to the sustainable development and climate change mitigation.
These countries are divided into a number of sub-regions as Australasia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa. IORA Member States are Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Oman, United Emirates, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapour, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen and Australia. The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), was formally launched in 1997 during a meeting in Mauritius. Comoros belong to IORA since 2012.