President Surangel Whipps Jr. issued last week an executive order reorganizing the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment (MAFE)
EO No. 463 also defines the role of the new ministry which is responsible for sustainable food production, food security, and marine and terrestrial resources.
MAFE also includes a new bureau that is tasked to explore, surveys develop, manage, and conserve all near-shores marine resources of Palau.
The Ministry which is headed by Steven Victor will be supporting the livelihoods of Palauans through the increase of production in fisheries and agriculture in a sustainable manner that also protects the environment.
The new ministry will also be focusing on the development of aquaculture in the country and enhance aquaculture research and development and provide seedlings and seedlings for partners and states to promote and sustainable aquaculture in Palau,
The Ministry will also include a Division of Livestock, which will be designing sustainable livestock facilities and providing animal feeding, instructions, and veterinary services.
In his first State of the Republic Address in April, the president said one focus of the ministry was to enhance domestic fisheries.
“Through its reconstituted bureaus, the ministry will enhance Sustainable Domestic Fisheries Development from the shoreline to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) [boundary] to promote sustainable uses of our food source while also providing a path for new market opportunities for post-COVID-19 recovery.”
The president also supports the elimination of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other illegal activities in the nation’s water ( B. Carreon)