The new Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, André de Paula, took office this afternoon (3), in Brasília. In his speech, he defended the support and creation of public policies for income generation and support for artisanal fishermen. “The new ministry signals support for the broader development of artisanal fishing, aquaculture and industrial fishing, whose balance between healthy food production, income generation and work, participation and socio-environmental justice must walk hand in hand”.
André de Paula’s inauguration marks the return of the Ministry of Fisheries to the federal government. The folder ceased to exist in 2015. In the past government, it had secretarial status.
The minister adopted the tone of reconstruction, referring to public policies aimed at society, especially those most in need. “The moment is for reconstruction, union and rescue. The recreation of the ministry expresses a decisive moment for Brazil and a valuable gesture by President Lula’s government, which is in line with the historical and popular demands of society”, he said.
“This gesture is directly related to the rescue of citizenship, the defense of biodiversity, the fight against hunger, the appreciation of the role of women, respect for the traditional way of life and the rescue of artisanal fishing communities, a contingent of more than one million people”, added the minister.
During his speech, he preached the promotion of sustainable fishing development “to develop income and food security for thousands of fishermen in the effort of responsible management”, as well as the stimulus to increase aquaculture production in the country. The idea is to open up new export markets and also tackle the problem of hunger.
Among the issues considered a priority for the ministry, André de Paula mentioned investments in fishing and aquaculture, the resumption of the issuance of licenses for fishing vessels and the professional license of fishermen. “The inefficiency in these actions led to economic losses and excluded artisanal fishermen from accessing public policies,” he said.
Profile
André de Paula is a federal deputy. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in 1998 and since then won a seat in all subsequent elections until the 2018 election. He is currently affiliated with the PSD. He is a native of Recife, a lawyer by training and a career public servant. He is 61 years old.
In some moments of his successive mandates in the Chamber, he took a leave of absence to assume positions in the government of Pernambuco. He was Secretary of Rural Production and Agrarian Reform between 1999 and 2022 and Secretary of State for Cities in the State of Pernambuco in 2015 and 2016.
