The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO) of the East African Community (EAC) is implementing the European Union-funded TRUEFISH Project towards advancing aquaculture in the Lake Victoria Basin. The project has three main components that deal with aquaculture business, skills and sustainability respectively. Landell Mills have been appointed to lead the aquaculture business development component, which is known as Component 1. Within this component there are three main focal areas, consisting of:
This paper consider the achievements to date in these areas. The East African Aquaculture Exhibition and Conference was hosted successfully in Kenya in March 2023, while it will move the Tanzania in 2024 and Uganda in 2025. Excitingly, TRUEFISH has been successful in securing the bid to host a World Aquaculture Conference in Uganda in June 2025.
To facilitate the flow of investment, TRUEFISH has developed a regional business plan, regional directory for aquaculture, supported the establishment of a the East African Regional Aquaculture Association, and developed a map of investors that can be engaged further.
B2B linkages are being established on an ongoing basis, while dedicated B2B training and contact sessions are being planned for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Associations have also been supported by study tours to Egypt and are currently participating in a study tour to China, that will be followed by a study tour to Nigeria / Ghana in 2024.
The results of these interventions are starting to show. This paper considers the tasks that remain in Competent 1 of TRUEFISH, up to its termination in the middle of 2025. It considers the impact of high-level interventions and whether this has sector-wide benefits for aquaculture.