RIYADH — The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has chosen Saudi Arabia as main sponsor for the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (IYAFA 2022).

The announcement was made during a speech by Carolina Carranza, representative of the chair of the international steering committee of IYAFA 2022, during the international conference and exhibition for the fishery that was held by the ministry, represented by the National Fisheries Development Program on January 30, with the participation of 30 countries and 70 global and local companies.

The ministry noted that the goals of IYAFA 2022 inlcude increasing the growth rates of fishery sectors, enhancing the role of the sector in realizing food security, providing new job opportunities for the youth, improving the quality of life in countryside communities, in addition to increasing the current production of 40% and covering the global needs of seafood, encouraging organizations to face climate change and administrate natural resources for water planting. — SPA