Africa urgently needs to develop its aquaculture sector to meet its food needs, the head of the UN fisheries division said Tuesday, as a new report highlighted record global production levels.
According to the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, fish and seafood now represent a trade of $184 billion.
Aquaculture, or fish farming, overtook capture fisheries in 2021 as the main source of food production and continues to grow, crossing the 100 million tonne threshold for the first time in 2024, the last year for which data is available.
However, Africa lags behind, with only 18% of its fish production coming from aquaculture, compared to about half in the rest of the world. According to the FAO, fish production in sub-Saharan Africa will need to increase by 68% by 2050 to keep pace with rapid population growth.
“This is an opportunity to seize… but everything depends on how quickly we can respond to demand,” Manuel Barange, director of the FAO’s fisheries division, told AFP. “Aquaculture can truly be a game changer,” he added. “If we succeed in developing aquaculture in Africa, many opportunities will open up.”
But, he argues, governments urgently need to implement regulations and incentives to attract investors. More than 700 species of fish are currently farmed worldwide, and the FAO considers aquaculture a more predictable and sustainable approach than traditional sea fishing.
It would also be more adaptable to climate change, which is rapidly altering the volume and distribution of marine stocks. Climate change is « a disruptor of everything we do, » Mr. Barange emphasized.
The report also calls for a reduction in overfishing: only 62% of global fisheries are currently managed sustainably. The 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference opened Tuesday in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, its first time being held in Africa, bringing together policymakers, NGOs, investors, and innovators.
Since its inception in 2014, the event has generated more than 2,900 commitments representing over $169 billion, covering marine conservation, sustainable fishing, climate adaptation, security and pollution control.
source : africanews
