With European support, more than 2,000 Manabi artisanal fishermen will be trained in new fishing techniques

PORTOVIEJO

An institutional alliance between the Prefecture of Manabí (GPM) and the Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AIC) will allow the promotion of a project in the north of this province aimed at the sustainability of artisanal fishing in the Canoa resorts in San Vicente and Cojimíes in Pedernales.

The project is called Innovation and Sustainability of Artisanal Fishing in Manabí (ISOSPAM) and aims to benefit about 2,200 artisanal fishermen from those coves. They will have a contribution of $2.3 million for this work, from training and promotion of new fishing techniques.

In addition to the associated entities, this initiative will also have the support of the municipality of Pedernales and Italian entities such as the San Benedetto del Tronto mayor’s office and organizations such as Terra Di Siena Lab, Blu Marine Service and the University of Ferrara.

A few days ago, Sergio Trevisani, representative of the Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, and Emanuele Troli, director of Blue Marine Service, arrived in Pedernales to review the progress of the ISOSPAM project.

“This is my first trip to the Manabí region and the main objective is to be able to acquire more information to better develop the ISOSPAM project. To be able to understand what the problems and opportunities are to improve the lives of fishermen and the entire community,” said Troli, who shared with artisanal fishermen in the area and exchanged knowledge about this activity.

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Meanwhile, Trevisani declared that this program is a meeting between the fishing cultures of Italy and Ecuador, in an activity that will take place over the next three years.

“Its main purpose is to try to raise the social and economic level and recover some typical characteristics of this place at an environmental level and thereby make a leap in quality, not only economic-social, but also in consideration of this community within the nation itself. Ecuadorian,” Trevisani said. (I)