Angola banks on 'fish' to save tourism

Angola is now hoping to get back on the world tourism map with Tarpons – a fish majorly found in Atlantic waters known for their fighting abilities and large size.

Civil War that engulfed Angola since its independence from the Portugese rule in 1975 has crippled the country's tourism for almost three decades, even though the war ended in 2002.

Catching Tarpons is a real adventure for fishing enthusiasts and tournaments are held focused on fishing for Tarpons, the game fish, and that’s what Angola is banking upon to up arrivals. The areas near Kwanza River, south of Angola’s capital city of Luanda, that abounds in Tarpons have already begun witnessing fishing activities, media reported.

According to travel industry experts, the fact that Tarpons are not so desireable for meat and is usually released after being caught, the government and environmentalists do not oppose to fishing as a marketing tool for promoting tourism in the region. Though they say that daily fishing by the local communities on the shores could diminish the rich marine life as fishermen tend to fish everything including turtles, media reported.

Angola, which attracts tourists interested in fishing from South Africa and Namibia, opens to the fishing activities for about five months starting from November.

However, bad infrastructure in the country post Civil War could have a negative impact, believe tourism industry officials.