More than 20 African officials have arrived in China for a two-month training program in freshwater aquaculture sponsored by the Chinese Commerce Ministry. Among the countries with representation in the program are Ghana, South Sudan, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sierra Leone.
Participants will spend 56 days in the program, mostly at the Academy of Fisheries freshwater center in Wuxi on China’s east coast. According to an opening speech by Chinese official Ge Xian Ping, China wants more “south-south cooperation” and hoped the program can serve as a bridge to achieving that. Moreover, Ping said China hopes to create a “China-Africa seafood dream” by sharing its knowledge of best aquaculture systems and practices with the African officials.
However, China’s relationship with some African countries has been strained following a recent New York Times report accusing Chinese trawlers pf emptying the coastal waters of African countries like Senegal, causing poverty and migration, as well as deforestation, as fishermen are forced to seek alternative livelihoods.
