On March 6, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the “Overseas Seminar on Fishery Development and International Cooperation in Timor-Leste” was successfully held in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. Minister Marcos da Cruz and Secretary of State Domingos da Conceição dos Santos, Director Celestino da Cunha Barreto of the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry of Timor-Leste, Counsellor Zhao Suocheng of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of China in Timor-Leste, and Deputy Director General Bing Xuwen of FFRC, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. More than 120 officials, experts and scholars from various departments and subordinate units of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery and Forestry of Timor-Leste participated in the event.

At the opening ceremony, Counselor Zhao Suocheng said that this training program is the first bilateral training program to be carried out by the two sides in 2024, and it is a pragmatic measure to continue to deepen fisheries cooperation between China and Timor-Leste, and improve the sustainable development of agriculture, livestock, fishery and forestry in Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste has abundant marine resources and huge potential for fishery development, which can provide high-quality protein to the local market, further promote the diversification of the local economy, create more jobs and increase people’s incomes.

Deputy Director General Bing Xuwen said that China and Timor-Leste have long adhered to mutual respect and mutual benefit, and bilateral relations have developed in depth. Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, fishery cooperation between the two countries has become an important area. The purpose of this training project is to promote the development of local fisheries, improve the self-sufficiency rate of fishery products, and cultivate new fishery talents. China will take this opportunity to discuss the new direction of international cooperation with Timor-Leste, tap the new potential of industrial chain cooperation, and jointly build a new mechanism for fishery cooperation between the two countries.

On behalf of Timor-Leste, Minister Marcos expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chinese government and the Ministry of Commerce. He said that although Timor-Leste’s fishery development is small, it has some experience in freshwater fish farming and seaweed farming, and it is developing well. The training course provides an important exchange and learning platform for fishery management and extension personnel in Timor-Leste, which will enhance their fishery knowledge and skills, promote the development and progress of Timor-Leste’s fisheries, meet market needs and develop new business opportunities. At the same time, the training project will have a positive impact on the development of Timor-Leste’s fishery and lay an important foundation for deepening the fishery cooperation between China and Timor-Leste.

50 officials and technicians in the field of fisheries and aquaculture from more than 10 administrative regions of Timor-Leste participated in this 21-day seminar. During the period, the expert team of FFRC will conduct in-depth exchanges with the participants on various topics such as inland aquaculture, development and utilization of marine fishery resources, and international fishery cooperation.