CONTENTS

1. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ......................................................................................... 1

2. ACP STATES SITUATION ........................................................................................ 2

3. CHALLENGES FOR AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT ......................................... 5

4. KEY TAKE-AWAY MESSAGES FOR ACP FISHERIES MINISTERS ....................... 9

5. REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 9

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1. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

1. With production from capture fisheries being relatively static since the late 80’s,

aquaculture has been responsible for the continuing growth in the supply of fish for

human consumption, representing in 2017 53 percent of total world supply of fish for

human consumption with almost 112 million tonnes produced (see next figure). In the

recent period, aquaculture continues to grow faster than other major food production

sectors although it no longer shows the high annual growth rates of the 1980s and

1990s (11.3 and 10.0 percent). Average annual growth declined to 5.8 percent during

the period 2000–2016, although two-digit growth still occurred in a small number of

individual countries, particularly in Africa from 2006 to 2010 (FAO, 2018).

Figure 1 : World capture fisheries and aquaculture production

Source: FAO (2018)

2. At global level, Asia is by far the major continent for aquaculture production (almost

100 million tonnes produced per year on average over the 2015-2017 period) with

China alone producing more that the rest of the world combined. The other major

producers are Indian, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Bangladesh, Egypt and Norway. Total

aquaculture production was 2 to 3 million tonnes in Africa, about the same level in

Europe and Americas, and about 200 000 tonnes in Oceania. In terms of production

environment, 49 percent of world production originates from products grown in marine

waters, 43 percent from freshwater bodies, and 8 percent from brackish water.

2

Figure 2: Global aquaculture production by continent (left) and global aquaculture production by environment (right). Data are average annual production over the 2015-2017 period.

Source: based on data published by FAO (2019)

3. In addition to be an important source of food supply, aquaculture provides jobs to

almost 20 million people worldwide including 15 percent women. In Africa alone,

aquaculture is estimated to provide jobs opportunities to 300 000 people (FAO, 2018).

2. ACP STATES SITUATION

4. In 2017, aquaculture production by ACP States was 680 000 tonnes, a modest

share of the word production (less than 1 percent). As shown in the figure below,

ACP States production is largely driven by production in ACP African States, which

reflects the higher potential of the region in particular, due to the importance of its

freshwater bodies. In 2017, aquaculture production was close to 620 000 tonnes

for African ACP States, 40 000 tonnes for Caribbean States, and 12 000 tonnes for

Pacific ACP States. According to FAO data, 94 percent and 77 percent of

aquaculture production is obtained in freshwater environment in Africa and in

Caribbean respectively, and 83 percent from marine waters in the Pacific.

2% 3%

92%

0% 3%

Production by continent

Africa Americas Asia Oceania Europe

43%

8%

49%

Production by environment

Freshwater Brackishwater Marine waters

3

Figure 3: Aquaculture production by group of ACP countries

Source: based on data published by FAO (2019)

5. In Africa, the top producing countries are Nigeria (almost 300 000 tonnes in 2017),

Uganda (112 000 tonnes) and Ghana (58 000 tonnes), with significant production

in Zambia and Madagascar. Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana are also the ACP

countries which witnessed the most important development of their aquaculture

sector since 2000. Zambia is another country that has witnessed a significant

production of its aquaculture sector in relative terms with a three-fold increase in

volumes since 2011. By contrast, aquaculture production in other African States

tended to stagnate, and decreased in some cases (ex. Kenya, Mozambique).

6. In the Caribbean, the top producing country is by far Cuba (31 000 tonnes in 2017,

with Dominican Republic (2 500 tonnes), Haiti (1 400 tonnes), Jamaica (1 300

tonnes) and Belize (1 100 tonnes) having some significant production. For most

Caribbean countries, aquaculture production remained stable since 2000, even

decreasing in 2017 compared to past levels (ex. Belize, Cuba). Only Haiti shows

some increase in national production over the past few years.

7. In the Pacific, Solomon Islands (10 600 tonnes in 2017) and Papua New Guinea

(6 000 tonnes) and Kiribati (3 600 tonnes) are the three top producers. Production

significantly increased in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea since 2010,

stagnated in other countries and decreased in Kiribati.

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

800000

Ton

nes

ACP States aquaculture production

Africa Caribbean Pacific

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8. The next table shows the main groups of species grown in the different ACP

regions. In Africa, production is dominated by tilapias and catfish, preceding carps.

All these fish species are omnivorous freshwater species with some tolerance to

salinity (brackishwater environment). In the Caribbean, production is dominated in

weight by carps, but by shrimps in value (mostly in Cuba and Belize). For Pacific

States, seaweeds (euchemas) are the main aquaculture species grown at present.

Table 1: Main groups of species grown in the three ACP regions

Africa Caribbean Pacific

Tilapias (Clichidae) (248 000 t) Catfish (Clariidae) (235 000 t) Carps (Cyprinidae) (30 000 t) Seaweed euchema (Solieriaceae) (25 000 t)

Carps (Cyprinidae) (17 600 t) Shrimps (Penaeide) (7 400 t) (mostly P. vannamei) Catfish (Clariidae) (6 500 t) Tilapias (Clichidae) (4 000 t)

Seaweed euchema or elkhorn (Solieriaceae) (10 000 t) Tilapias (Clichidae) (1 450 t) Carps (Cyprinidae) (400 t)

Source : based on data published by FAO (2019)

9. Aquaculture can take a number of different forms and operate at various scales. It

can vary from subsistence-level ‘backyard’ fish farming in the family pond to the

industrial-scale production of thousands of tonnes from a single site, often destined

for overseas markets. Aquaculture systems may be characterised by their

productivity, for example, from simple pond farms to high yield re-circulation

systems. In the context of rural development, a most relevant classification is based

on a combination of ownership, management, labour and markets distinguishing

subsistence aquaculture and small scale commercial aquaculture with activities

integrated into small-holder farming activities, small to medium enterprises (SME)

aquaculture and industrial aquaculture (AFD et al., 2017). The different types of

aquaculture systems bring different contributions to SDGs. Whilst subsistence and

small-scale aquaculture have the potential to contribute to most of the relevant

SDGs1, SME aquaculture has the potential to be fast growing and dynamic.

However, growth may not benefit all, and intensification may introduce

environmental and socioeconomic challenges. Industrial aquaculture may support

economic growth, but its contribution to development may be low due to

mechanisation of jobs and export-orientation of production; and high environmental

risks through water pollution, fish disease outbreaks, excessive use of antibiotics

and harmful effects on biodiversity.

1 SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero hunger), SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 8 (Decent work) and SDG 12, 13, 14 & 14 (environmental sustainability)

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3. CHALLENGES FOR AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT

10. Three recent studies initiated by the ACP Secretariat confirmed that there is a

potential for aquaculture development in Africa (Kaunda, 2015), in the Caribbean

(Myvett et al., 2015) and in the Pacific (Amos et al., 2014). Whilst aquaculture

development in Africa can be supported by availability of large freshwater bodies

(inland lakes and reservoirs) with tilapia and carps as main candidate species, the

development of the aquaculture sector in the Caribbean and in the Pacific will

always be small by global standards due to natural limitations of potential sites, but

locally significant at national level in marine waters. According to these studies,

aquaculture development is challenged by many factors including inter alia poor

governance, lack of technical knowledge, increased competition for land and water,

growing environmental concerns to degrading environmental conditions,

unqualified labour forces, limited economic and/or community benefits. Other

factors, such as low R&D effort, lack of basic services and/or raw materials and

equipment and financial limitations, are also relevant.

11. As identified by the ACP action plan, the development of an adequate governance

framework is pivotal to support aquaculture development at country level.

According to FAO (2017a), an adequate governance framework includes i) a good

aquaculture administrative framework with designation of a lead agency in charge

of integrating and coordinating actions of the different ministries concerned by

aquaculture2 like for example INAQUA in Mozambique, ANAG in Guinea or ANA in

Senegal; ii) good legal and regulatory frameworks to provide aquaculture producers

with a predictable legal environment that considers inter alia security of property

rights and economic incentives as appropriate, iii) good licensing policy and

administration ensuring clear eligibility criteria and a timely process for applications,

evaluations and appeals and taking into account environmental sustainability and

social equity, iv) adequate participation of non-state actors in the decision-making

process through dedicated consultation mechanisms, v) robust aquaculture

statistics and adequate demand-oriented research in support of policy and

planning. Several ACP States engaged in this process, but according to FAO

(2017b) strategic plans generally lack clear links between various policy goals, the

specific types of aquaculture and specific support measures to be developed.

2 Administrative overlap is inevitable for aquaculture because of its complexity and diversity, typically involving may sectors (e.g. water, land, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, transport, health and tourism)

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12. In order to support governance, FAO (2018) encourages use of spatial planning as

a fundamental tool to integrate management of land, water and other resources

and to enable the sustainable development of aquaculture in a way that

accommodates the needs of competing economic sectors and minimizes conflict.

Use of unmanned drones has been reportedly used in Angola for this purpose.

13. Availability of seed is the first factor limiting commercial production. The availability

of seed remains a serious problem in many ACP countries, in particular in Africa

and in the Caribbean. Dedicated commercial hatcheries are functional in some

countries (e.g. Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Madagascar, etc.)

and projected in others like Cameroon or Gabon. In terms of seed, there has been

significant developments in the last ten years including the development of

appropriate technologies to produce all-male tilapia fingerlings, making production

of a crop comprised primarily of high-value large fish possible; and spawning of

catfish in large numbers using injections of fresh pituitary followed by hand-

stripping. These techniques are now widely known and practiced in several

countries. Seed production is presently a profitable segment of aquaculture in Africa

(Aulanier et al., 2011). Quality of seed has been improved recently as evidenced

by the successful development of the Akombo strain of tilapia extensively used in

Ghana.

14. Availability of aquafeed for commercial production is also commonly cited as a

bottleneck for development. Although there is an expansion of local feed milling

capacity underway in a number of countries (e.g. Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Gambia),

significant quantities of aquafeed are imported. However, there are frequent

aquafeed shortages or some of the aquafeed produced of poor quality. The price

of aquafeeds varies between countries and within countries due to source of import

and for locally produced feeds the costs of feed ingredients and seasons. Feed

costs tend to increase and can represent in excess of 60 percent of production

costs. This being said, the orientation of production on freshwater omnivorous

species reduces reliance on imported fish meal and fish oil. As shown in the

following figure, tilapia, catfish or carps require less fish meal and fish oil as

ingredient, compared to carnivorous species. This has positive impacts on prices

and availability, but also on environment as fish meal production is an issue of

concern for sustainability of wild fish stocks (see Naylor et al. (2000) for example).

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Figure 4: Estimated use of fish meal (percentage of dry feed basis) within aquafeeds in 2008

Source: Bostock et al. (2010)

15. Access to finance is another hindrance to aquaculture development, in particular

for small holders. Commercial credit and insurance providers continue to be risk-

averse regarding aquaculture, and it is also the case for small-scale fishing.

However, access to credit has improved in many of the major aquaculture

producing countries as operators have demonstrated that, with a pivotal shift to a

commercial-oriented model, aquaculture is a viable proposition. In countries like

Kenya, Niger, Nigeria and Uganda, governments have set up specific credit

schemes to support the development of commercial aquaculture. However, in many

countries producers still depend on non-formal sources and this reduces their

capacity to invest in production systems and to finance operating costs (feed, seed,

water management).

16. Provisions for training and development of skills and knowledge in aquaculture are

important issues to address to ensure the long-term development of the sector.

There is a need to raise awareness of targeted populations, including women, on

the potential of aquaculture and new developments in the sector, and to develop

adequate sensitisation and training materials for fish farmers. Aquaculture research

centres and other relevant agencies have a role to play through the development

of short-term technical and vocational training courses for basic and continuing

training on aquaculture for small-scale operators. Higher level tertiary education in

aquaculture should also be encouraged for researchers and civil servants to scale

up management capacities. As examples of good practice, Kenya developed a

National Aquaculture Development (Sagana) and is considering developing a

Mariculture Resources Centre on the coast, and the EU-funded Sustainable

Aquaculture Research Networks for sub-Saharan Africa (SARNISSA) project could

link researchers, farmers and the private sector and had proved highly effective in

promoting networking within the farming community and as an information and

educational tool.

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17. The value chain for aquaculture products is generally not well developed, in part because of poor infrastructure and insufficient policies and programmes directly related to value chain development. These include information awareness raising and coordination of value chain activities, developing skills and increasing innovation, increased access to finance and promoting inclusive standards. Successful production at farm level is just one part of the value chain. In order to succeed long term, aquaculture needs to be profitable and it is essential that reliable markets are secured with a potential value chain that ensures financial viability for all participants. This aspect needs serious consideration during the design phase, as it might influence key design criteria, such as species selection (reflecting market demand, price and seasonality), system design (which in turn influences input sourcing and costs, margins and risk), production scheduling, processing and transformation. Value chain analysis is now an established tool for assessing the equity and integrity of value chains and designing interventions to address any issues found. As an example, the value chain analysis of the Zambia aquaculture sector showed that smallholders and large producers could contribute more and better to the sector, the economy and society in general, by overcoming issues and limitations in relation to promotion of innovations and strengthening of governance framework including development policies and strategies, capacity development, and gender and youth issues (Kruijssen et al., 2018).

18. Some countries (e.g. Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana) raised concerns about unfair

competition from cheap imports, from subsidised tilapia from China. Cheap imports in Africa of tilapia may consist of products unfit for sale in developed markets of USA or EU due to high concentrations in growth hormones and heavy metals. In addition to threatening consumer health, imports deprive local operators from access to national or sub-regional markets. Some States tried to impose bans or limitations on tilapia imports from China, but with limited effects so far due to the bargaining power of China and multiple opportunities to circumvent trade measures through imports through other countries.

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4. KEY TAKE-AWAY MESSAGES FOR ACP FISHERIES MINISTERS

In most ACP States, aquaculture has not yet realised its full development potential. For

most countries, aquaculture production stagnated or even decreased over the past few

years. However, the example of some African countries demonstrate that aquaculture

development is possible.

The development of an adequate governance framework is pivotal to support

aquaculture development. An adequate governance framework includes definition of a

strategic roadmap with clear links between various policy goals, the specific types of

aquaculture and specific support measures to be developed; and accompanying legal

and regulatory frameworks that provide aquaculture producers with a predictable legal

environment. In this respect, spatial planning is now more and more used to support

decision-making

Aquaculture of low-trophic species like tilapias or carp should be considered as the

starting point to capitalise on experience. A value-chain approach should be favoured,

ensuring that aquaculture activities are considered as part of a wider network of

interdependent businesses that includes in particular feed and seeds providers.

5. REFERENCES

AFD, EU, GIZ (2017) Opportunities and challenges for aquaculture in developing countries.

Joint Report.

Amos, M., Garcia, R., Pickering, T., Jimmy, R. (2014) Study on the Potential of Aquaculture in

the Pacific. ACP / CTA report. 55 pp.

Aulanier, F., Desprez, D., Napuru, A., Mikolasek, O. (2011) Role of the private sector in fry and

fingerling production in Uganda, SARNISSA. Avalable at: www.sarnissa.org.

Bostock, J., McAndrew, B., Richards, R., et al. (2010) Aquaculture: global status and trends.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological

sciences 365, 2897-2912. [In eng] 10.1098/rstb.2010.0170.

FAO (2017a) Aquaculture development. 7. Aquaculture governance and sector

development. FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. N° 5 Suppl. 7,

Rome 50 pp.

FAO (2017b) Regional review on status and trends in aquaculture development in sub-

Saharan Africa – 2015, by Benedict P. Satia. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular.

No. 1135/4, Rome, 44 pp.

FAO (2018) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 - Meeting the sustainable

development goals. Rome. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

FAO (2019) Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics. Global capture production 1950-2017

(FishstatJ). In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department [online]. Rome. Updated

2019.

Kaunda, E. (2015) Study on the Potential of Aquaculture in Africa. ACP / CTA report. 39 pp.

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Kruijssen, F., Avadí, A., Cole, S., Mungule, C.M., van Duijn, A. (2018) Aquaculture Value Chain

Analysis in Zambia. Report for the European Commission, DG-DEVCO. Value Chain

Analysis for Development Project (VCA4D CTR 2016/375-804). 98 pages + annexes.

Myvett, G., Haughton, M., Murray, P. (2015) Study on the potential of fish farming in the

Carribean. CRFM Technical and Advisory Document. Number 2014/2, 76 pp.

Naylor, R.L., Goldburg, R.J., Primavera, J.H., et al. (2000) Effect of aquaculture on world fish

supplies. Nature 405, 1017-1024. 10.1038/35016500.