The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union are each contributing €47 million to the implementation of FISH4ACP (BmZ).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been implementing a major fisheries and aquaculture development program that has shown significant potential to boost these industries in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Guyana, and the Marshall Islands, increasing their self-sufficiency, creating jobs, and maintaining biological stock levels.
The nations are the first five of 12 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) states that FISH4ACP, a global aquaculture program for the development of the fish value chain, has examined. This Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) initiative is being carried out by FAO and focuses on increasing the productivity and sustainability of the value chains in fisheries and aquaculture.
Supporting women is given special attention because of their critical role in fish value chains, which are the entire process of adding value to the product.
“This initiative marks an important step towards a blue transformation of fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, benefiting not only fishers and their communities but also ensuring that growth goes hand in hand with environmental sustainability and social inclusivity,” says Gilles Van De Walle, FAO’s Chief Technical Adviser, FISH4ACP.
“We are ecstatic to see FISH4ACP getting to work to realise the potential of fisheries and aquaculture in ACP nations. The need to expand our fisheries and aquaculture industries is urgent given their significant contributions to economic growth, good jobs, and the security of our food supply “explains OACPS Assistant Secretary-General Cristelle Pratt.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union are each contributing €47 million to the implementation of FISH4ACP (BmZ).
“This programme stands out due to its emphasis on the economic, environmental, and social facets of sustainability. With the start of a new phase, FISH4ACP will be better able to balance production and protection, support equitable income distribution and respectable working conditions, and promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific “Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit for the Directorate General for International Partnerships at the EU, says.
“We are happy to see that FISH4ACP is now prepared to use its all-encompassing value chain approach to support the development of fisheries and aquaculture. It is essential that it considers every player at every point, from the net to the plate.
According to Hendrik Denker, deputy head of the BmZ Division for Food and Nutrition Security, Global Food Policy, and Fisheries, FISH4ACP’s novel approach will increase the supply of aquatic foods, economic returns, and social equity while minimising negative effects on the marine environment.
The release of its first five reports gives the countries a starting point for support in enhancing their value chains for fish, increasing self-sufficiency in fish production, generating local employment, and maintaining sustainable stock levels.