SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO SUSTAINABLY EXPAND AFRICA’S FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SECTOR

The fisheries and aquaculture sector’s growth contributes to improved food security and nutrition, employment, and economic development across the region. The Malabo Montpellier Panel’s report—FISH-FRIENDLY: Policy Innovations for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa—provides an overview of government actions that have contributed to creating a conducive environment for the sustainable development of the continent’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. The report specifically draws on the experiences of four African countries—Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, and Mozambique—to showcase policy and institutional innovations and programmatic interventions that may be replicated and scaled up in other countries.

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1. 1 SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO SUSTAINABLY EXPAND AFRICA’S FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SECTOR The fisheries and aquaculture sector’s growth contributes to improved food security and nutrition, employment, and economic development across the region. The Malabo Montpellier Panel’s report— FISH-FRIENDLY: Policy Innovations for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa—provides an overview of government actions that have contributed to creating a conducive environment for the sustainable development of the continent’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. The report specifically draws on the experiences of four African countries—Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, and Mozambique—to showcase policy and institutional innovations and programmatic interventions that may be replicated and scaled up in other countries. Examples of successful strategies implemented in the country case studies to advance the sector, which are recommended by the Panel, include: • Expanding and diversifying aquaculture production to tackle fish shortages. Establishing capable institutions and programs focused on aquaculture research and technology development and providing training programs in local communities, as demonstrated by Ghana’s Aquaculture Research and Development Centre and the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs Programme, boosts aquaculture production. • Promoting research in capture fisheries is essential for addressing growth constraints on production to better meet future demand for fish and fishery products. Institutions such as Morocco’s National Institute of Fisheries conduct research on marine ecosystems, assess fishery resources, test fishing techniques, and disseminate scientific knowledge, data, and best practices in fisheries management and production. • Innovative dissemination of knowledge and research findings to all stakeholders in the sector— including researchers, policymakers, fishers, and fish farmers. Morocco’s L’Observatoire Halieutique Marocain, an interactive scientific information platform, promotes data-sharing, and informed decision-making in line with sustainability goals. • Establishing funding agencies that are specific to the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Mozambique’s Blue Economy Development Fund, FP-ProAzul, offers technical and financial assistance to projects and training programs promoting sustainable use of marine resources. Creating such agencies may be fostered by prioritizing fisheries and aquaculture in national development plans and visions. • Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through strong political and comprehensive approaches. These include developing policies and regulatory frameworks that specifically address IUU and ensuring their effective enforcement at local and national levels. Mozambique has made significant progress in reducing IUU fishing through its National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate IUU fishing alongside investments in advanced monitoring, control, and surveillance of fishing fleets. • Effective environmental strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture such as Morocco’s Law No. 49–17 on environmental impact assessments (EIAs), which mandates all aquaculture projects to undergo an EIA before receiving approval. This requirement supports responsible development in the sector.
2. 2 • Participatory approaches for increased community involvement in decision-making on local fisheries management can result in more effective, context-specific strategies, ensuring sustainability in the sector. Such inclusive management systems may be facilitated through policies like Malawi’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, which promotes the establishment of beach village committees and facilitates capacity building in fish farming and fisheries management. • Accelerating the adoption of improved technologies and practices among small and medium- scale fishers and aquaculture operators. Grants and credits to artisanal fishers and small enterprises, as offered by Mozambique’s “Mais Peixe Sustentável” program, can improve their fishing techniques, reduce their vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change, and boost local food security. • Expanding training programs in fish postharvest handling and fish processing, as conducted by Ghana’s Safe Fish Certification and License Scheme, alongside investments in cold storage and product packaging, improves food security by increasing the availability of fish and fishery products. • Promoting the safety of fish fishery products for human consumption needs to be guaranteed by establishing regulatory bodies such as the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), which has developed quality standards for fish and fishery products enforced along fish value chains with support from funds collected from the training services MBS offers. • Enhancing incentives to boost trade in fish and fishery products. Malawi’s Export Development Fund provides tailored financial solutions for enterprises engaged in fish processing to better enable them to cover their procurement and manufacturing costs and wages. These financial interventions facilitate increased fish processing and value-addition and support exporters in competing with peers internationally.