The foundation stone for construction of the Centre for Professional Fisheries Training (Cefopesca) of Angola, a project with an estimated cost of US$98 million , took place Tuesday in the town of Belas, in Luanda, Angolan news agency Angop reported .

The Minister of Fisheries, Victoria de Barros Neto, who chaired the ceremony, said construction of the centre would start this year and that it would be operational 36 months later.

The Fisheries Training Centre was established in 1982 as part of cooperation between Angola and Sweden, with the Angolan government approving construction of a new centre following heavy rains in 2007 that destroyed 85 percent of Professional Fisheries Training Centre.

This project is funded by a credit line opened by the government of Spain to Angola and, when installed, will provide over 70,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the minister.

Cefopesca will occupy an area of over 5 hectares, will have capacity to receive 310 boarding students for a period of three years and the central building with an area of 667,000 square metres will have laboratories, libraries, simulator rooms and conference rooms, among other facilities.

The workshops will occupy an area of ​​832 square metres and include shipbuilding, mechanics/engines, metalwork/welding, fish treatment and processing and another area with fish farming tanks. (macauhub/AO)