Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk Saturday 14/6/2025 affirmed Egypt’s pioneering role in the development of the fisheries sector across Africa, particularly in the field of aquaculture.

Farouk made the remarks during a meeting with Miguel Bernal, the Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM) on the sidelines of the ministerial session “Accelerating sustainability: transforming Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries and aquaculture” that took place during the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

During the meeting, Farouk underlined the importance of international collaboration with organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and global financing bodies.

He called for boosting investment in fisheries, alongside supporting training centers, knowledge transfer, and experience exchange among regional countries.

The meeting discussed enhancing joint cooperation in international fisheries trade, safeguarding marine resources, and addressing the threats posed by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Farouk and Bernal explored mechanisms for capacity building and training for fisheries professionals in the 22 GFCM member states.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring member states legal access to fish quotas and combating overfishing.