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Kapenta. File photo: Jornal Domingo
The western Mozambican province of Tete hopes to begin exporting kapenta (Lake Tanganyika sardine) to China as from next year.
The provincial director of fisheries, Fátima Cinco Reis, told reporters that contacts are under way and Chinese businesses have expressed an interest in buying both kapenta and tilapia. The initial contacts, she added, were made with Chinese business people who attended the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) in August.
These fish are caught in the huge man-made lake behind the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi river.
“We are pleased with this intention shown by Chinese business people”, said Cinco Reis. “Kapenta is a species of fish with high commercial value, which is currently exported to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Congo”.
If the deal comes off, this will be the first time that fisheries produce from Tete has been exported to China. She was confident that exports of kapenta to China will generate more income for the fishermen on Lake Cahora Bassa, and more tax revenue for the government.
“We’re pleased because with this type of deal, our fishermen will improve their living conditions”, she said. “In this way, we shall be fighting against poverty, which is one of the main priorities of the government”.
Cinco Reis said it was too early to say how much fish would be exported. “We are still making the contacts and we will see how the exports will be done. These are details that we need to mature”.
“We think we won’t have any problem in supplying the product to the Chinese market, because the catches are satisfactory”, she added.
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