Sustainable Seas, Prosperous Communities: African Union (AU) Presents Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture

The African Union (AU), through its Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), delivered a significant presentation on the continental policy direction for fisheries and aquaculture at a side event during the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Conference held in Entebbe/Kampala, Uganda, from June 24 to 27, 2025. The presentation, led by Simon Owani Olok, Senior Policy Officer for Fisheries and Aquaculture at AU-IBAR, highlighted the essential role that fisheries and aquaculture play in the lives of over 10 million Africans, most of whom are among the rural poor. 

These sectors are crucial for ensuring food security, improving nutrition, and enhancing the livelihoods of individuals. However, they are currently under severe threat due to weak and uncoordinated institutions, ineffective governance, and policies that have led to the over-exploitation of commercially important fish stocks. This has limited the sector’s sustainability and reduced its contribution to food security, poverty alleviation, and wealth creation. Despite the rapid growth of aquaculture in Africa, the sector faces numerous challenges that must be addressed for it to fill the gap left by declining capture fisheries effectively.

Recognizing the urgent need for reform, the AU has made several high-level political commitments to restore fisheries to their maximum sustainable yields and to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture. Notable among these are the commitments made at the 2015 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Abuja Declarations of 2014, and resolutions from the Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture. These initiatives led to the development of the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), which serves as the continent’s blueprint for the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The PFRS aims to realise the full potential of the aquaculture sector to generate wealth, provide social benefits, and contribute to Africa’s economic development through market-led, sustainable strategies. Implementation is guided by a continental 10-year plan of action, which aligns with the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and key political declarations.

The AU’s approach to reform has involved increasing awareness among policymakers about the actual value of fish resources, creating an enabling environment for investment, and developing practical strategies to unlock the sector’s socio-economic potential. The PFRS was endorsed by African Union Heads of State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2014, and provides a structured guide for national and regional policy coherence. Its main objectives include sustainable management, increased productivity and profitability, wealth generation, improved social welfare, enhanced nutrition and food security, and strengthened regional collaboration.

Several key milestones have been achieved since the introduction of the PFRS. The African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM) was established as the delivery mechanism for reforms, and platforms such as the African Platform of Regional Institutions for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Systems (APRIFAS) and the Policy Research Network for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PRNFAA) were created. A pan-African strategy for data collection and dissemination was developed, and research networks were established to support evidence-based policy. Sixteen AU Member States have fully aligned their fisheries and aquaculture policies with the PFRS, and support continues for others to do the same.

The responsibility for implementing the PFRS lies primarily with Member States. Ministries, departments, and agencies responsible for the sector are expected to regulate, promote, and coordinate reforms through broad stakeholder engagement. They are also tasked with integrating fisheries and aquaculture into national development plans, mobilizing resources, investing in capacity development, and fostering both vertical and horizontal partnerships. National priorities should be continually reviewed to address emerging issues, and progress should be reported to AU-IBAR and AUDA-NEPAD.

The AU remains committed to providing leadership and technical support to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture become central pillars of Africa’s economic transformation. For more information on the AU’s fisheries and aquaculture policy direction and ongoing reforms, visit AU-IBAR’s official website.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).