Malawi: The stakeholders of the Refresh project have handed over office supplies and vehicles to support the promotion of the most profitable fish species in Malawi. The handover ceremony for the vehicle and the equipment was hosted on Friday.
The organization has shared that the handover for the project prerequisites was attended by several government officials. The government of Malawi has shared some images from the event on their social media.
According to the officials, the government of Malawi has been working hard to promote th fisheries sector. Furthermore, Director of Fisheries, Dr Hastings Zidana, has emphasized the significance of Refresh Project during the handover.
He highlighted that it is closely aligned with the department’s strategic plan known as the Chambo Restoration Plan. The event was hosted on Friday at the Capital Hill in Lilongwe with several stakeholders from the fisheries sector in atteendance.
The Director of Fisheries also delivered a brief address at the event
Addressing attendees during the handover ceremony, Zidana said due to the diminishing fish stock in Lake Malawi, the Department strategically identified key fish species for focused management, particularly those of economic importance.
“We have meticulously developed the Chambo Restoration Plan, and in our quest for support we engaged the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which subsequently initiated the project aimed at rejuvenating our fisheries resources,” he articulated.
Zidana disclosed that the equipment received is valued at US$190,000, constituting a fraction of the overall project cost of US$18 million.
The Department has committed US$190,000 towards procurement of the necessary equipment, which has been instrumental in its operations over the past four years.
Refresh Project Chief of Party, Dr Daniel Jimu, lauded the past five years as remarkably fruitful, underscoring the strong partnership and collaboration with the Department of Fisheries.
He underscored that the project, a bilateral agreement between the United States government and Malawi government, was designed to address critical issues within the fisheries sector to bolster economic prosperity, food security and the livelihoods of Malawians.