Africa must urgently expand sustainable aquaculture to feed its fast-growing population and safeguard millions of livelihoods threatened by climate change, overfishing and environmental degradation, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned this week.

 

The warning came as world leaders, scientists, conservationists and policymakers gathered in Mombasa for the 11th Our Ocean Conference where FAO launched its flagship State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 report.

The report was released amid renewed global efforts to tackle food insecurity, with the US announcing more than $1 billion in humanitarian and disaster-response assistance for Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The package, comprising over $218 million for Unicef and more than $800 million for WFP, will support food, nutrition, health and water programmes in more than 40 countries, including Ethiopia, Myanmar and Ukraine.

FAO warned that long-term food security will depend on transforming how the world produces aquatic foods. According to the report, global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 188.2 million tonnes in 2024, with aquaculture accounting for most of the fish consumed by humans for the first time in history.

FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division- Manuel Barange, described the milestone as a major turning point.“Aquaculture has become the fastest-growing food production sector globally and now accounts for more fish consumed by humans than capture fisheries. This represents a major transformation in the way the world produces food and will play a critical role in ensuring future food security,” Prof Barange said.

Aquaculture production reached 103.3 million tonnes in 2024, continuing decades of expansion driven largely by Asia. However, FAO believes Africa could emerge as the next major growth frontier.

Although aquaculture provides about 52 percent of fish destined for human consumption globally, Africa contributes less than two percent of world production.

The report shows that aquaculture currently accounts for about 18 percent of Africa’s total aquatic animal production, presenting enormous opportunities for food security, employment and poverty reduction.“Africa has enormous opportunities to increase fish production through sustainable aquaculture. But this requires investment, sound legal frameworks, strong governance systems, access to finance and long-term commitment from governments,” Prof Barange said.

Aquatic foods remain vital to the continent’s nutrition. Fish and other aquatic products provide nearly 19 per cent of all animal protein consumed in Africa, making the region the second-most dependent globally on aquatic foods as a source of protein. Yet Africa has the world’s lowest per capita availability of aquatic foods.

Rapid population growth continues to outpace production, and FAO projects that per capita fish consumption could decline further by 2034 unless output rises substantially. The organisation estimates that fish production in Africa must increase by more than 67 percent merely to maintain current consumption levels.

The challenge is particularly significant because fisheries support millions of livelihoods. According to the report, inland fisheries account for 54 per cent of primary sector employment across Africa. Small-scale fisheries, both inland and marine, remain the backbone of the sector, supporting fishers, traders and processors, many of them women.

However, capture fisheries are increasingly under strain.“Warming oceans, acidification and shifting species distributions are already affecting fisheries around the world. The communities that depend on these resources are among the most vulnerable. Transformative change is needed if we are to secure aquatic food systems for future generations,” Prof Barange warned.

Climate change is altering migration patterns of fish species, reducing productivity in some waters and increasing uncertainty for coastal communities.

Delegates at the conference also raised concerns over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which continues to deprive African countries of billions of dollars in resources and revenue.

Experts attending the conference stressed that sustainable fish farming, freshwater aquaculture and environmentally responsible mariculture offer Africa practical pathways to increase production without damaging ecosystems. Countries were urged to strengthen biosecurity systems, improve access to financing, and establish policies capable of attracting investment.“Aquaculture is not something that succeeds overnight. It requires investment, infrastructure, good policies, and political will. Countries must decide how they want to develop the sector and create an enabling environment for investors and communities,” Prof Barange said.

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