The world’s oceans are overfished. In western industrialized countries, people eat too much fish on average. But the situation is different in African countries, where more fish is needed to improve the food situation. Industry expert Blessing Mapfumo sees the expansion of aquaculture as part of the solution.
Note: This translation was partly created with AI. The original text is in German.
Blessing Mapfumo has been working in the field of aquaculture development in Africa for more than 20 years. He started his aquaculture career in the late 90s at one of the then largest private aquaculture ventures in Africa, Lake Harvest Aquaculture based in Zimbabwe. He then assumed the role of fisheries and aquaculture projects officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in South Africa. Presently, he is the Executive Officer for the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), which is hosted at the African Union Development Agency Headquarter in South Africa. Among other roles within the WAS, he organizes the annual Aquaculture Africa Conferences in identified African countries.
Aquaculture in Africa: Steady growth, great potential
Wirtschaft in Afrika (WiA): Blessing, you have accompanied the development of aquaculture in Africa for over 20 years. How is the industry progressing?
Blessing: I started my aquaculture journey back in 1999 and I must say the sector has grown significantly in the last decade or so. It continues to grow, albeit modestly, year-on-year. According to the FAO, Africa’s average annual growth rate in aquaculture is between eight and ten percent. One clear indicator in terms of volumes is that when I started my journey in aquaculture back in 2000, recorded total production was less than 500,000 metric tons. Yet this has grown fourfold to just over 2.3 million metric tons as of 2023.
WiA: Where does the growth come from?
Blessing: Back around 2000, Sub-Saharan Africa had very few meaningful large, industrial-scale aquaculture investments. But today we see several of these being established, some with the capacity to produce even over 10,000 metric tonnes of fish per annum connected to very large aquafeeds manufacturing plants and sophisticated farmed fish distribution chains. Yet we have small to medium-scale fish farms flourishing in almost every country in Africa and producing meaningful volumes. In addition, we are also seeing governments increasingly playing a supportive role, including stepping up their efforts in promoting investments in the sector. They have seen the potential benefits the sector renders in a rapidly changing world environment and the rapid growth of the African population.
Aquaculture in Africa: so far mainly freshwater aquaculture
WiA: In which countries is there industrial production?
Blessing: By far, Egypt remains the top producer in Africa, producing nearly 70 percent of all farmed fish in Africa. In 2022, the country produced a record 1.6 million metric tons. This is followed by Nigeria, producing nearly 11 percent. Then we also have progressive countries such as Ghana, Uganda and Zambia. These top five countries collectively produce about 90 percent of total production in Africa. And the bulk is freshwater aquaculture. There are, however, a number of new, non-traditional countries that have significantly made inroads in their production in recent years. I can name Eastern African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda as well as countries such as Lesotho, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal and a few others. Over and above, it seems freshwater aquaculture, specifically that of tilapia, will continue to flourish for years and shape the direction of aquaculture growth in Africa.
WiA: What about marine aquaculture?
Blessing: Industrial-scale marine aquaculture is generally on the low side and yet to be further explored. Marine aquaculture has notably thrived in a few countries, such as South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Tunisia and of course the traditional powerhouse, Egypt. But this is an area that we need to focus more on as the continent lags behind compared to other continents.
Hurdles for marine aquaculture in African countries
WiA: Why is that?
Blessing: Marine aquaculture is a relatively new and complex business activity in most countries. The national authorities are seemingly in the learning mode and working to designate meaningful zones for coastal aquaculture. In addition, there seems to be a lack of technical know-how in establishing and running marine aquafarms, as compared to inland freshwater farms – where lessons learned in the African context are readily available. The risks for marine aquaculture are perceived to be too high; consequently, getting private finance is also difficult.
WiA: Which risks are perceived?
Blessing: Developing a marine aquafarm business, especially for finfish, requires complex and sometimes expensive technologies to get things right from the onset. Then one has to face issues to do with environmental management, conflict with other water body users, security, and the dynamics of input supply chains for a less prominent marine aquaculture sector. We, however, have exceptions, for example seaweed farming, which has flourished in East Africa. Marine finfish farming in Tunisia, shellfish farming in South Africa, and shrimp farming in Madagascar may also be counted as success stories.
How hurdles for aquaculture in African can be solved
WiA: So the first step towards more marine aquaculture is for countries to designate coastal zones for this purpose?
Blessing: Yes. With the promotional rush of aquaculture investment in many countries, we see quite some changes compared to the early 20s. The blue economy drive, for instance, has encouraged countries to designate special zones for aquaculture. Increased knowledge and public understanding of aquaculture have played a role. Zoning areas for sustainable aquaculture is usually a complex process, especially given that many of these waters have traditionally been fishing grounds, touristic spaces or other water use functions. Then there is the question of developing essential connecting infrastructure that will enable the fish farm to operate smoothly. I have over the years observed some countries that have made good progress on this, including good spatial plans for aquaculture development, and are busy calling for potential investors to invest in these spaces. I can give a few examples of Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana and several others.
WiA: Besides establishing investable areas for aquaculture: What else can countries do to create an enabling policy and regulatory environment for investors?
Blessing: This entails, amongst other things, the establishment of good basic infrastructure outlays such as road networks and communication. And of course, a cadre of well-trained personnel is needed to manage the aquabusinesses. But most importantly, the general economic situation for the country must be taken into account. Some African countries still have weak financial systems not very attractive to some investors. Research and demonstration facilities powered by the government are also important drivers. We should not leave out the transport and cold chain management systems that will then enable the produce to move from farms to end consumers. Proper management and security of these expensive investments is crucial.
Aquaculture in Africa: Export or local markets?
WiA: Is exporting to the EU an option?
Blessing: This is already taking place in some very few countries that I can think of and remains an option. Tunisia, for example, produces fish such as seabass and seabream partly destined for the European market. Prawns from Madagascar are traditionally exported to the EU. Raw farmed seaweed from East Africa, especially Zanzibar, finds its way to the EU markets. I have heard of a few tilapia-producing farms exporting to the EU under special arrangements. Of course, unlike decades ago, the cost and process of shipping processed aquaculture products to the EU have become extremely expensive, rendering it less viable for most businesses. Consequently, the bulk of aquaculture production in African is clearly destined for domestic and in some instances intra-regional markets. Here, the concept of standards and certification is increasingly coming into play.
WiA: In what way?
Blessing: With improved education and other things, more and more African consumers are looking at where their fish are coming from. The “buy-local” campaigns seen in several countries have become a game-changer in stimulating local entrepreneurs to invest in aquaculture and to minimize imports of fish. State bureaus of standards and some private certification bodies have come into play as supporting institutions to this move. The need for the production of safe, traceable products with safe ingredients to good standards is increasingly getting some attention. Of course it comes at a cost. It is also true that the situation varies with some consumer segments – in some cases, there is just disregard of where the fish is coming from, how it was produced, etc., and this is understandable from a very hungry population perspective! This is why we still see huge volumes of fish imports, originating from outside Africa. This needs to be addressed holistically.
Aquaculture as a threat to ecosystems
WiA: In Germany, aquaculture is often criticized by environmentalists because it can severely damage marine ecosystems.
Blessing: Of course, like in any other agro-based industry, there will be “bad apples”, especially to environmental integrity. Not all aquafarms are bad for the environment. In my view, this is why governments need to develop clear, transparent regulations that take into account environmental integrity, with clear monitoring and policing systems in place. Environmental agencies have a role to play to ensure things are done right. But also working with environmental groups from the start is a plus. We have seen some fish farms in South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar recently attain some form of ecolabel certification for doing the right things, including for the environment.
WiA: So overall, which countries are making the best progress in developing good framework conditions for aquaculture?
Blessing: I must say things have significantly changed over the past two decades. Almost all African countries have developed some policy, strategy, legal and institutional framework for the development and promotion of aquaculture. Some have gone further to develop clear investment plans. Consequently, you see meaningful dividends at the end of the day. I can mention progressive countries such as Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria and others. They are not super-perfect in all – but at least we can visibly see and point out how good policy, regulatory and business environments have stimulated the sustainability and competitiveness of aquaculture value chains. There are other countries like Egypt, with decades of experience and being globally competitive.
Aquaculture in Africa: Investors are welcome
WiA: You said that more investors are needed. Who could that be?
Blessing: It could be anyone with money and willingness to invest. This ranges from mainstream agriculture or livestock farmers or aquaculture enthusiasts who may wish to expand their investments into aquaculture – so long as they have the land and water spaces. It could be the governments themselves putting special fiscal resources for aquaculture and the development of support public institutions. It could be development partners or international financing institutions – the likes of World Bank, Africa Development Bank and others providing funding resources, mainly for capacity building, setting up basic infrastructure and other forms of technical assistance. But of course we desire to have private equity funds employed into the sector mostly to directly set up fish farms and aquafeeds facilities. Any form of investment – human and capital investment – is always needed.
WiA: How do you see the future of aquaculture in Africa?
Blessing: I am very optimistic. We have come a long way now. Numbers can tell. The situation on the ground in several countries can also give a glimpse of where we are going. Of course, much more needs to be done to address a myriad of traditional challenges: feed, seed, capital, markets, technical know-how and biosecurity. And then we have to face complex emerging issues such as climate change, disasters, country economic volatilities, insecurities and the global-geopolitical problems of our day. What else can we do to feed a rapidly growing population, which is expected to near two billion by 2030, yet our traditional fishing grounds have stagnated or are dwindling? One key investor once told me that the future of global aquaculture rests on the grounds and waters of Africa. I honestly believe this given the competitive advantages the continent has.
My blog is a lot of work. Therefore I am happy about donations. You can do this here via Paypal.
Would you like to stay informed about news on my blog? Follow me on LinkedIn: Katja Scherer | LinkedIn
German