The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been requested by its Members to develop practical guidance to government authorities and policymakers in their efforts to promote the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and enable aquaculture to effectively participate in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA), prepared in a transparent, consultative and participatory process, provides this practical guidance on sustainable aquaculture development, integration of aquaculture into national, regional, and global development strategies and food policies, and ensuring that aquaculture production meets the growing demand for aquatic food and enhances inclusive livelihoods.
The GSA represent a cornerstone of FAO’s Blue Transformation which provides a roadmap for the FAO’s work on aquatic food systems for the period 2022-2030. GSA will contribute to guiding the achievement of objectives on sustainable aquaculture intensification and expansion worldwide, in supporting the global food system transformation, aiming to secure and maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems to food security, nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all.
Aquaculture in Africa has great potential. According to FAO’s State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture Report, Nigeria produced nearly 12 percent of all cultured aquatic animals in Africa, and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa enjoyed double-digit growth of 14.5 percent reaching 396,700 tonnes in 2020 from 346,400 tonnes in 2019. Investing in African aquaculture is an imperative to achieve food security and nutrition in a continent that is disproportionally impacted by global challenges such as climate change and malnutrition.
The implementation of GSA provides a compass for sustainable aquaculture development, including the governance and planning, sustainable resource use, ecosystem and farm management, social responsibility, decent work and gender equality, value chain, market access and trade. All FAO Members are encouraged to review the gaps in aquaculture development, and FAO is ready to support Members in policy review, capacity building, innovations, and monitoring.