Africa’s fisheries-aquaculture sector is extremely diverse and covers a wide range of ecological and socio-economic contexts ranging from coastal and inland artisanal fisheries, high sea fisheries, freshwater and marine aquaculture. The sector is dominated by small-scale fisheries (SSF) that rely on traditional methods to harvest and process fish into products that are then distributed through informal fish trade. As a result of informal fish trade, the sector supplies fish to over 200 million consumers and directly employs over 10 million people on the continent. It is estimated that more than 40% of all fish harvested crosses a border between the point of production and the place of consumption through this trade, making fish, the second most traded agricultural commodity after sugar on the continent. Improving access to regional markets therefore offers Africa’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, one of the best alternatives to expanding economic opportunities and earnings across the sector’s value chains, the adoption of best sectoral practices amongst the sectors stakeholders, the reduction post-harvest fish losses and enhancing food and nutrition security. However, this cannot be achieved unless fish producers, AU-MS and REC’s adopt harmonized standards that ensure the safety of fish and fish products for human consumption and other uses; as well as prevent the spread of aquatic animal diseases, pests and invasive species between aquatic ecosystems and across borders. The Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa advocates the adoption of the WTO’s Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement, as the denominator for developing and harmonizing regional standards to facilitate safe and equitable fish trade in Africa.
In order to safe-guard aquatic biodiversity, fisheries and aquaculture production and productivity; improve access to markets, foster aquatic-food safety and public health, aquatic biosecurity and biosafety, aquatic ecosystem health and environmental sustainability, in 2023, the African Union Commission commissioned the development of a continental Aquatic Animal health Strategy to strengthen continental capacity for the control of aquatic animal diseases, pests and invasive species.
that highlighted. This will facilitate multisectoral ad intraregional cooperation and collaboration for the establishment of harmonized approaches for implementing WTO’s Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement to enhance across Africa’s transboundary aquatic ecosystems and fisheries and aquaculture value chains. This paper shares the status and the prospects in Africa’s approach for establishing all-inclusive risk-based regional approaches to promote the volaristaion and resilience of Africa’s regional fish value chains, equitably and sustainably.