Africa is interested in joint work with Russia to study fish and crustacean stocks off the continent's coast, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo), Ilya Shestakov.
During the meeting, the head of the agency told the Russian president that Rosrybolovstvo is preparing to conduct a large expedition to study fish resources in African countries, and discussions are underway. He noted that the expedition will begin in the second half of 2024.
"Yes, our friends have asked for it. And they are interested in cooperation," Putin stressed.
Shestakov, in turn, noted that Russia welcomes African scientists on board and will share with them all the data that will be extracted.
Kirill Kolonchin, director of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, told Russian media earlier that the expedition will strengthen Russia's position in protecting fishing interests under intergovernmental agreements.
He added that the research will cover vast expanses of water in more than 10 countries along the West African coast from Morocco to Angola, as well as the western Indian Ocean off the coasts of Eritrea, Oman, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
The scientific teams will be composed of specialists from different disciplines and will rotate at certain stages of the cruise, Kolonchin explained.