Albania is borrowing EUR25 million from the Italian government to improve infrastructure for artisanal fishermen and to build a fish market, the Albanian Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Fisheries said recently. The investment is undertaken mainly in the ancient city of Durrës, on Albania’s central Adriatic coast. The project includes an increase in mooring capacity and landing sites, as well as a fish market in Durrës. The market is to be operated, with fishermen responsible as a group for employment, costs and receipts, and sales tax collection and payments.
The fisheries sector of Albania has not escaped the trends seen throughout the Mediterranean area of overfishing and aging equipment, vessels, and people. The average age of the fleet is 43 years, compared to the EU average of 30 years, and young people (as everywhere) do not find the industry’s jobs attractive. External forces, including the high price of fuel, are hurting artisanal fishermen too. By better organisation of the industry, including improved infrastructure, the Albanian government hopes to improve its efficiency and economic viability.