The South African government has identified aquaculture as a priority for the country and the entire African continent.
This is according to Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Narend Singh, who was addressing the 15th Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa Conference yesterday.
Singh said as the country confronted the challenges of climate change, population growth, and food insecurity, aquaculture offered a powerful tool for sustainable development.
“It presents an opportunity to enhance our nutrition and food security, generate employment, especially in rural areas, and drive economic growth while safeguarding our environment and promoting the sustainable use of our natural resources,” Singh said.
He added that, given that aquaculture was still considered a new sector, South Africa needed to acknowledge that growth would continue to be driven by technology and market demands.
“To achieve long-term growth, we must invest in solutions tailored specifically to the African environment, addressing challenges such as sustainable affordable feed production, aquatic animal health management, and climate resilience,” Singh said.
“By developing and adopting technologies and practices suitable for local conditions, we can ensure that aquaculture development is both efficient, implementable, and environmentally responsible. Fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation will enable us to build a vibrant aquaculture sector that supports social and economic growth, conserves natural resources, and meets the nutritional needs of our communities.”
The DFFE said the country was committed to supporting the growth of aquaculture both locally and throughout Africa.
It said it was co-ordinating various support interventions required to unlock sector growth, including creating an enabling business environment through the establishment of Aquaculture Development Zones, enacting dedicated aquaculture legislation, unlocking local and international markets, technology development, and co-ordinating funding and finance support programmes.
Some of these interventions would be presented over the next few days, including the Aquaculture and Investment Seminar hosted by the department, which was attended by more than 200 participants keen to invest or contribute to the sector in various ways.
Technology development and innovation were said to be best achieved through collaboration and partnerships across borders, sectors, and communities. The DFFE said it was through collaboration that the country could share knowledge, develop capacity, and drive the technological advancements needed to unlock the full potential of aquaculture in Africa.
Singh said the country’s collaboration with member states and technical partners within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the AU was foundational to advancing regional strategies that promote resilient, productive, and sustainable aquaculture practices in Africa, addressing regional needs and gaps.
At an international level, he said they were proud to work closely with partners in the EU, the People’s Republic of China, and other global institutions through initiatives such as the ASTRAL project, an EU Horizon 2020 funded project and collaborative effort focused on innovative and sustainable circular waste management technologies.
He said South Africa was an active and leading partner in this international project, and the research in South Africa had provided valuable outputs towards knowledge generation in this project and future development opportunities. These will be presented over the next few days. He said they were pleased to have the contribution of various partners of ASTRAL attending, made possible through the co-funding to the conference through the ASTRAL project.
Moving forward, the DFFE said it remained committed to nurturing partnerships at local, regional, and international levels.
“Our focus will continue to be on research, networking, information sharing, and capacity building. These collaborations are fundamental to our mission of developing a robust and sustainable aquaculture sector that delivers widespread benefits across Africa,” Singh said.