Agric. & Environment
Africa’s blue future depends on more fish farms — UN
Fisheries experts, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are also urging African countries to invest more heavily in aquaculture.
According to FAO, fish production in sub-Saharan Africa will need to increase by 68 per cent by 2050 to meet the demands of the region’s rapidly growing population. (File photo)
By: Gerald Tenywa and agencies, Journalist @New Vision
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Standing at Ggaba Landing Site, Andrew Mukasa, a fisherman on Lake Victoria, fixes his eyes on the endless blue horizon. The lake, he says, whispers promises of plenty, yet too often returns nets lighter than the dreams cast upon its waters.
With wild catches becoming less certain, Mukasa has anchored his hopes in cage fish farming, a practice he believes holds part of the key to the future.
“I had lost hope in the lake,” he says. “I burned fuel, but the catch could not repay what I spent. That was when I began to think beyond the waves and turned to fish farming. Here, I only feed the fish, and within six months, I harvest them.”
For Laban Musinguzi, a researcher at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, the lake’s changing fortunes are no surprise.
He says fish farming presents a viable solution, provided it is carried out sustainably and without polluting the lake.
“It makes sense as long as there is sustainable management of fish farming or aquaculture on the lake,” he says. “As long as we apply best practices for fish farming, there is no problem. If it is not done well, it can hurt capture fisheries.”
The call for expanded fish farming is not only coming from local fishermen and researchers. Fisheries experts, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are also urging African countries to invest more heavily in aquaculture.
“Africa needs to urgently expand its fish-farming sector to meet its food needs,” the UN fisheries division said on June 16, 2026.
The call comes on the back of the latest reports showing record global fish production levels.
He says fish farming presents a viable solution, provided it is carried out sustainably and without polluting the lake.
“It makes sense as long as there is sustainable management of fish farming or aquaculture on the lake,” he says. “As long as we apply best practices for fish farming, there is no problem. If it is not done well, it can hurt capture fisheries.”
The call for expanded fish farming is not only coming from local fishermen and researchers. Fisheries experts, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are also urging African countries to invest more heavily in aquaculture.
“Africa needs to urgently expand its fish-farming sector to meet its food needs,” the UN fisheries division said on June 16, 2026.
The call comes on the back of the latest reports showing record global fish production levels.
Fish and seafood now account for a $184 billion global trade, according to the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report released by FAO at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya.
Fish farming, or aquaculture, overtook traditional capture fishing as a source of food production in 2021 and has continued to expand, surpassing 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2024, the latest year for which data is available.
However, Africa remains behind the rest of the world, with only 18 per cent of its fish originating from farms, compared to about half globally.
According to FAO, fish production in sub-Saharan Africa will need to increase by 68 per cent by 2050 to meet the demands of the region’s rapidly growing population.
“It's an opportunity waiting to be exploited... but it's whether the timing is sufficiently fast to catch up with that demand,” Manuel Barange, director of the FAO fisheries division, told AFP.
“Aquaculture can actually be a game-changer,” he said. “If we manage to develop aquaculture in Africa, there are a lot of opportunities.”
Barange added that governments must urgently establish regulations and incentives to attract investment into the sector.
More than 700 fish species are currently farmed for consumption worldwide, and FAO argues that aquaculture offers a more predictable and sustainable approach than traditional fishing at sea.
It is also easier to manage in the face of climate change, which is rapidly altering fish stocks and migration patterns across the world's oceans.
Climate change is “a disruptor of everything that we do,” Barange said.
The report also notes that more effort is needed to reduce overfishing, with only 62 per cent of global fisheries currently considered sustainably exploited.
The 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference opened on Tuesday in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, marking the first time the event has been hosted in Africa. The conference has brought together politicians, non-governmental organisations, investors and innovators to discuss marine conservation and sustainable ocean management.
Since its inception in 2014, organisers say the conference has generated more than 2,900 commitments worth over $169 billion, covering marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate adaptation, security and pollution reduction.
Fish farming, or aquaculture, overtook traditional capture fishing as a source of food production in 2021 and has continued to expand, surpassing 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2024, the latest year for which data is available.
However, Africa remains behind the rest of the world, with only 18 per cent of its fish originating from farms, compared to about half globally.
According to FAO, fish production in sub-Saharan Africa will need to increase by 68 per cent by 2050 to meet the demands of the region’s rapidly growing population.
“It's an opportunity waiting to be exploited... but it's whether the timing is sufficiently fast to catch up with that demand,” Manuel Barange, director of the FAO fisheries division, told AFP.
“Aquaculture can actually be a game-changer,” he said. “If we manage to develop aquaculture in Africa, there are a lot of opportunities.”
Barange added that governments must urgently establish regulations and incentives to attract investment into the sector.
More than 700 fish species are currently farmed for consumption worldwide, and FAO argues that aquaculture offers a more predictable and sustainable approach than traditional fishing at sea.
It is also easier to manage in the face of climate change, which is rapidly altering fish stocks and migration patterns across the world's oceans.
Climate change is “a disruptor of everything that we do,” Barange said.
The report also notes that more effort is needed to reduce overfishing, with only 62 per cent of global fisheries currently considered sustainably exploited.
The 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference opened on Tuesday in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, marking the first time the event has been hosted in Africa. The conference has brought together politicians, non-governmental organisations, investors and innovators to discuss marine conservation and sustainable ocean management.
Since its inception in 2014, organisers say the conference has generated more than 2,900 commitments worth over $169 billion, covering marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate adaptation, security and pollution reduction.