Propelling the sustainable development while simultaneously transforming Africa’s aquaculture sub-sector into a robust Agri-food system is the question at hand for Africa’s aquaculture stakeholders. The continent’s Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture (PFRS) and the Africa Blue Economy Strategy (ABES) have opened opportunities that enhance the prospects for diversifying and expanding the profile the continent’s aquaculture value chains. Access to emerging regional and global markets through safe and equitable trade, is a key feature of this.
Achieving this aspiration depends on the extent to which the continent can safeguard the integrity of its largely transboundary aquatic ecosystems and resources. Demographic changes, increased levels of environmental degradation and climate-change impacts have become apparent threats affecting the integrity Africa’s aquatic ecosystems and resources. The sustainable supply of good quality water, feed ingredients and feedstuffs, fish seed and the health of aquaculture stock and products can only be assured if the aquatic ecosystem is healthy. Recognizing this, Africa as a continent, has opted to strengthen its capacity for aquatic animal health and biosecurity control coherently from a transboundary approach, whereby the designate watersheds and marine ecosystems constitute the primary ecological epidemiological unit. Bearing in mind the multiplicity of factors influencing the sustainable management of water resources for productive uses such as fisheries and aquaculture, regional multisectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration become key.
Key words: aquatic, animal, health, biosecurity, transboundary, ecosystem, aquaculture