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Africa urgently needs more fish farms, says UN

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Africa must rapidly expand its fish-farming sector to meet growing food demands, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
  • Global aquaculture production surpassed 100 million tonnes in 2024, but Africa's contribution remains low at 18%.
  • The FAO urges African governments to create regulations and incentives to attract investment in aquaculture, which is seen as a sustainable and predictable food source.

Africa faces an urgent need to significantly boost its fish-farming industry to satisfy escalating food requirements, the head of the UN's fisheries division stated Tuesday. While global aquaculture production reached record levels, surpassing 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2024, Africa lags considerably behind, with only 18% of its fish originating from farms compared to roughly half globally.

It's an opportunity waiting to be exploited… but it's whether the timing is sufficiently fast to catch up with that demand.

— Manuel BarangeDirector of the FAO's fisheries division, describing the potential and urgency of developing aquaculture in Africa.

Manuel Barange, director of the FAO's fisheries division, highlighted aquaculture as a potential "game-changer" for the continent. "It's an opportunity waiting to be exploited... but it's whether the timing is sufficiently fast to catch up with that demand," he told AFP. The FAO projects that Sub-Saharan Africa's fish production must increase by 68% by 2050 to keep pace with its rapidly expanding population.

Barange emphasized that governments must act swiftly to establish clear regulations and attractive incentives to draw investors into the sector. Aquaculture offers a more predictable and sustainable alternative to traditional fishing, which is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. The UN report also noted that only 62% of global fisheries are currently managed sustainably, underscoring the need for alternative food sources.

Aquaculture can actually be a game-changer. If we manage to develop aquaculture in Africa, there's a lot of opportunities.

— Manuel BarangeHighlighting the transformative potential of fish farming for the African continent.

The Our Ocean Conference, held in Kenya, brought together international stakeholders to discuss marine conservation and sustainable fisheries. Since its inception in 2014, the conference has generated over $169 billion in commitments for marine protection, sustainable fishing, and climate adaptation efforts. The FAO's findings underscore the critical role aquaculture can play in ensuring food security and economic development across Africa.

Climate change is “a disruptor of everything that we do,”

— Manuel BarangeCommenting on the impact of climate change on global fisheries.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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