Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa

The document argues that Africa's fisheries and aquaculture sectors are underperforming despite vast resources, contributing only 6% of global fish production and resulting in a US$6 billion annual import reliance. It highlights systemic challenges including post-harvest losses of up to 30%, gender disparities in resource access, and environmental degradation such as oil pollution in Nigeria's Niger Delta. The briefing proposes a combination of agroecological practices, climate-smart technologies (such as biofloc and RAS), and regional trade integration via the AfCFTA to enhance food security and economic growth. It specifically emphasizes the need for cold-chain infrastructure, the integration of indigenous knowledge, and the empowerment of women and youth to ensure an equitable transition.

• Africa's fisheries and aquaculture sector contributes only 6% of global fish production, leading to an annual import dependency valued at US$6 billion.
• Post-harvest losses are a critical barrier to food security, with spoilage rates reaching 30% in some areas, such as Uganda, where these losses cost approximately US$21.76 million.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is identified as a transformative tool to reduce import dependency and create jobs, specifically through the Women and Youth Economic Empowerment in Fisheries initiative which targets 250,000 jobs by 2030.
• In Nigeria, the fisheries sector faces severe governance and environmental issues, including illegal fishing costing the country US$70 million annually and devastating oil pollution in the Niger Delta.
• Aquaculture is growing at a rate of 8.1% in Africa, but consumption remains well below FAO recommendations; for example, East African consumption is 4.8kg per capita compared to the recommended 20kg.
• Climate-smart and agroecological innovations are being deployed to increase productivity, including biofloc systems and HDPE cages in Kenya, and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in Nigeria, which helped Platinum Fisheries increase production from 5 to 390 tonnes.
• Gender inequality persists in the sector, with women in some regions restricted to nearshore waters and accounting for less than 20% of the aquaculture labour force in Uganda.

APA

Cheserek, M., Walakira, J., Obiero, K., & Oyebanji, I. (2025). Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/801023_R-Aquaculture-WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Cheserek, Maureen, John Walakira, Kevin Obiero, and Inemesit Oyebanji. Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/801023_R-Aquaculture-WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cheserek |first1=Maureen |last2=Walakira |first2=John |last3=Obiero |first3=Kevin |last4=Oyebanji |first4=Inemesit |title=Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/801023_R-Aquaculture-WEB-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cheserek2025transitions, author = {Cheserek, Maureen and Walakira, John and Obiero, Kevin and Oyebanji, Inemesit}, title = {{Transitions to Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/801023_R-Aquaculture-WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }