The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nikos Kougialis, assured the support of fisheries and coastal areas through development projects.
The Minister of Agriculture addressed a greeting during the inauguration ceremony of the renovation of the Ayia Napa fishing shelter that took place this afternoon. Referring to the fishing shelter, Mr. Kougialis said that this is part of a series of projects through which and the landscaping of the area of the fishing shelters, in order to upgrade the residential environment, to highlight the traditional architectural heritage and to become a pole of attraction, with multiplier effects on the economy and the quality of life of the inhabitants of the area. within the framework of the Operational Fisheries Program 2007-2013 and the Local Fisheries Program of the Province of Larnaca - Famagusta. During the new programming period 2014-2020, more importance will be given to the local development of the fishing areas and increase of the resources that will be allocated for the implementation of local programs, said Mr. Kougialis. € 39,7 million have been secured from the European Maritime Fund and Fisheries in the period 2014-2020, an amount twice what was given to us from the European Union funds for the period 2007-2013 and this will significantly contribute to the implementation of projects in an unfavorable economic period, he stressed. Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is a blue and resource-efficient economy, and a more competitive and sustainable fishery, which will help stimulate our economy, creating new employment and growth opportunities in coastal areas, while ensuring quality of life and protecting the environment. He also noted that the investment in the restructuring of the fishing vesselin aquaculture development, while supporting coastal areas by promoting maritime and coastal tourism will bring many benefits, stating that "the protection of the marine environment and the promotion of sustainable fisheries management combine the benefits of both of fish stocks, support for fishermen and the creation of new prospects for sustainable development, such as blue ecotourism, thus contributing to the development of the economy of the coastal areas ".Source: KYPE