A quaculture holds considerable potential for sustainable growth of rural economies , employment of youth and women, and food and nutrition security. Currently, small and medium- scale producers from developing countries produce most of the farmed fish and have fueled the rising growth seen in Africa in recent decades (Figure 1) .
The subsistence mentality that gripped most African aquaculture at inception is waning, and, in its place, a commercial mindset spurred by an entrepreneurial environment across the value chain. Bottlenecks exist in the form of poor access to credit, lack of technical know- how, poor access to quality inputs such as genetically improved seed, quality feed, high cost of production, losses of produce due to poor infrastructure, and marketing challenges. The high cost of fish meal has led to a search for alternative sources including animal and plant based ingredients. SMEs using new technologies that utilize food wastes and biproducts to produce insect-based meal are growing in number across the continent. A few countries have initiated genetic improvement programs for provision of quality seed .
A market- focused investment model with significant profit orientation may unlock the sector and attracting investment from both the public and private sector. Diversificatio n of products may add value, however, increasingly informed consumer markets demand prohibitive seafood quality standards alienating SMEs . A quaculture cooperatives can bargain for affordable credit, lobby for conducive government policies, enhance specialization among members, assure better technical assistance through novel extension methods, and can find and sustain new markets that fetch better prices for fish and fish products through bulk marketing. Growing use of mobile telephony across the continent can make it easier to collect production data and disseminate market information and technical knowledge among actors across the value chain. Tackling the challenges facing SMEs to unlock the potential for resilient aquaculture growth requires appropriate government policy and regulatory frameworks and affordable financing.