Modern-day aquaculture as it is practiced today was introduced to most of Africa in the 1950’s, as a rural smallholder subsistence activity to improve household nutrition and incomes. However, over time farming households demand for economic returns increased to meet their household objectives and mitigate against risks associated with agricultural productivity, impact of global markets and climatic change. At the macro-economic level, demographic changes and declining fishery yields compelled Member States to develop the sector in order to address national food and nutritional security challenges, employment, livelihoods and develop rural communities. By 2014, the continent had resolved that jumpstarting the development of market-led sustainable commercial aquaculture as a feasible option for increasing fish supply to address the above sustainably. However, how could this be achieved rapidly across the continent?
Upon consulting the continent’s stakeholders, the approach taken was to develop a roadmap the prioritized establishing an enabling environment, improving service delivery, capacity building, trans-boundary ecosystem management for aquaculture and innovation. This reviews the continental performance and impacts the African Union’s Aquaculture Action Plan 2016-2025 for aquaculture development in Africa.