Regarding the “Sea World Day ” celebrated on 29 September, the French Embassy in Mozambique in coordination with the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), the Association of Undergraduate Students of Mozambique (AEFUM), the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) and other partners, held from 24th to 30th of September last, the 7th edition of the event “Our Sea” under the motto “The sea we want” in Maputo City.

Since 2014 this event have been providing an opportunity to discuss the future of our oceans, with a special focus on the Indian Ocean; discussing about opportunities to secure our oceans, maintenance of its wealth, energy and biodiversity. This event also focused on management of “Our Sea” and the potential financial mechanisms to ensure its sustainability.

In its 7th edition, the event “Our Sea” event brought together academics, the private sector and partners in the field to brainstorm on partnerships strengthening mechanisms towards the sustainability of the oceans in their various dimensions.

The highest point of this 7th edition was marked by the realization of a business incubation competition, called O ponto mais alto desta 7ª edição foi marcado pela realização de um Concurso de incubação de negócios, denominado “Empreendedorismo Azul” (Blue Entrepreneurship) where several young people presented innovative projects for the sustainability of the sea. BIOFUND played a key role participating in the selection jury of 18 competitors and election of 2 winners in two categories, namely: the Redes de Luxo project, in the entrepreneurial project category that aims to produce female items such as hats, bags and shoes, using fishing nets collected in the coastal zone of Macaneta beach, in Marracuene district, Maputo province. The project received a monetary award of two hundred thousand meticais (200 000 MZN). For the social project category, the Associação Moçambicana de Reciclagem (AMOR) [Mozambican Recycling Association] was the winner and received a monetary award of one hundred and sixty thousand meticais (160 000 MZN) to purchase plastic waste from fishermen at Costa do Sol in Maputo.

The award ceremony and the closing of “Our Sea” event took place on September 30, 2022 at the Museum of the Sea and was it was attended by the French Ambassador to Mozambique and Eswatini, David Izzo, the Deputy Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Henriques Bongece, the Director of the National Museum of the, the representative of AEFUM, BIOFUND representatives and the participants of the “Blue Entrepreneurship” program.

For further information about the program, please, click here.