Marrone said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the stakeholders’ meeting on the Development of ECOWAS Fisheries and Aquaculture Regional Policy and Strategy Framework for member countries.
The stakeholders in agriculture from the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ECOWAS are currently meeting in Abuja to develop a framework on Fishery and Aquaculture for ECOWAS countries.
She said that the fisheries and aquaculture sector played an important role in food and nutrition security in West Africa.
She said the sector has estimated annual catch of 2.8 million tonnes with commercial values at 3 billion dollars and job creation for over 100 million people in fishing, aquaculture operations, processing and ancillary industries.
According to her, fish is still the only animal protein affordable for most households.
Marrone, however, said that in spite the importance, the sector has not been fully integrated into the priorities of the national and regional agricultural development within the ECOWAS zone.
She said to improve the situation, there is need to develop a regional fishery and aquaculture policy to address food and nutritional security in the region.
The EU official said that nutrition policy on fisheries and aquaculture represented an untapped opportunity that must be explored to ensure sustainable healthy diets.
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