• Juvanio Cabral, Director General of Maritime Economy of Guinea Bissau, talks to us about his experience in the Master run by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Alicante and the impact this training has had on the development of his professional career

Born in Bula, Guinea Bissau, Juvanio Cabral graduated as an economist and went on to take the International Master in Sustainable Fisheries Management organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza, the University of Alicante and the former Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), through the General Secretariat of Fisheries (SGP), which financed his participation.

In 2015, this Bissau-Guinean presented his Final Master Project ‘The Artisanal Fishing Sector of Guinea Bissau’, carried out in the Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology of the University of Alicante, under the supervision of Dr José Luis Sánchez Lizaso. The work presented a strategic plan to improve the sector, including specific actions such as modernisation of the surveillance, monitoring and information system, incentivising public and private investment, implementing an efficient management model, imposing exemplary sanctions to discourage illegal fishing, and strengthening the sector’s basic capacities, in order to boost the fishing sector in Guinea Bissau.

During this interview, conducted upon his appointment last October as Director General of Maritime Economy in Guinea-Bissau’s Ministry of Fisheries, Juvanio talks of his experience during the Master run by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Alicante, his research findings and their relevance to his current work at the Ministry of Fisheries.

Why did you decide to study a master’s in sustainable fisheries management? What led you to choose the programme offered by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Alicante?

I wanted to improve my technical skills to excel further and broaden my expertise in new technologies that could help me tackle any challenges that may arise. CIHEAM was the institution of choice under a fisheries agreement with the European Union aimed at strengthening the capacity of public institutions in Guinea-Bissau.

In this master’s, you carried out research on the artisanal fishing sector of Guinea-Bissau. What issues did you come across during this work? What is the current situation?

The livelihood of our communities has always been linked to the sea. This means that the fishing sector, in particular small-scale fisheries, plays an important role in the life of our population, in rural and urban areas too. However, good management practices and maritime inspection activities have always been among the main challenges of the sector. Despite the existence of regulatory instruments, the problems still persist. Having said that, we are seeing improvements in the decentralisation of fish conservation units and holding facilities, thanks to the work that this government is doing.

How important has this master’s been for the development of your professional career?

Very enriching. I had incredible experiences, both personal and professional. I had the privilege to live with people of different nationalities and cultures, which allowed me to learn Spanish very quickly because we had to make an enormous effort to communicate with each other and make ourselves understood. It was a fascinating experience and an incredible atmosphere! We all had the same objectives; we had to finish and go back to our countries, and that brought us together. We supported each other and developed a strong sense of solidarity. From a technical and professional perspective, it was a turning point. I developed important skills and competences that opened doors for me and led to interesting offers and job proposals, and enabled me to achieve a high professional level and take on important challenges that are having an impact on people’s lives today.

In October 2023, you were appointed Director General of Maritime Economy in the Ministry of Fisheries of Guinea-Bissau. What are the objectives of your department?

As an executive body of government policies, this department faces significant challenges and objectives. In the first place, it is a General Directorate made up of three Service Directorates: the Directorate of Industry and Market Services, the Directorate of Blue Economy Services and the Directorate of Studies and Planning Services. You can see the importance and responsibility of these government bodies – coordinating, organising and implementing government public policy actions in different areas such as job creation, food security, study programmes, and last but not least, ensuring effective management and sustainability of fishery resources, in other words, moving towards a blue economy.

What lines of collaboration and international cooperation do you hope to set up in order to achieve these objectives?

It is very important for this department to strengthen collaboration and cooperation at all levels, especially in the areas of activity I have already mentioned. However, we rely mainly on one important aspect that can boost, develop and add value in all sectors, and that is the training and qualification of our human capital. I’d say that would be the most important aspect of our management at the moment.

What would you say to the young people currently taking the master’s in sustainable fisheries management? How do you see the future of the sector?

I’d tell them to seize the opportunities provided by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Alicante, as they are hard to come by in our countries. That means that we have to try our hardest to set an example and be reference points for those that come after us.

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to these two prestigious institutions and thank them for everything they have done to make me the professional I have become today.

As for the future of the sector, it will all depend on the people working in the sector and the future that they want to provide for the next generation. Because climate change, illegal and destructive fisheries are an evident reality. If there is no change in position and paradigm, the effects and consequences of these actions will be devastating.

Thank you!