Fisheries are integral to Namibia's economy.

The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) and the Namibian Standards Institution recently organised a two-day programme to raise awareness among Namibia’s fisheries and aquaculture communities about the role of coordinated African standards to advance sustainable economic development, food security and regional trade

“Standards are not just a technical requirement; they are identified as an economic driver,” said Diina Nashidengo, director of the Commerce Directorate at the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, explaining its influence in market expansion. 

"By developing harmonised African standards, we move to dismantle trade barriers," Nashidengo said, while explaining how a wider integration can facilitate the mutual recognition of conformity assessment results, reduce delays at border crossings and lower compliance costs for businesses. 

Nashidengo spoke at an awareness programme on the implementation of harmonized African standards and conformity assessment in fisheries and aquaculture, held recently in the coastal town of Walvis Bay.

Fisheries are integral to Namibia's economy, largely driving the country's export business as well. Harmonised standards would solidify Namibia's hold over international markets while promoting sustainable production. 

Namibia is associated with multiple regional and international standardisation bodies, including ARSO, the International Organization for Standardization and the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Standardization.

Africa's capacity to produce aquatic animal foods remain limited. (Image source: FAO)

While fisheries and aquaculture make up a significant part of Africa's food economy, the market has been feeling the strain from steadily rising demand 

The rapid global expansion of the aquaculture industry at 235 million tonnes in 2024 has failed to reflect in the African regions, which recorded the lowest availability of aquatic animal foods per capita globally. This stands despite the region makes up a significant share of animal protein demand – about 19 percent on average.

“Across Africa, communities rely on aquatic animal foods for nutrition, and in some countries these foods provide as much as 54 per cent of animal protein,” said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, while speaking on the 2026 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture that has been launched recently by the organisation. “Their production also supports jobs, highlighting their critical role in the blue economy, especially for low-income and vulnerable populations.”

According to available data, production is unsurprisingly concentrated in countries with major freshwater systems such as river basins and lakes. Among the top five producers, Uganda leads with output of just over 0.5 million tonnes, followed by the United Republic of Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Aquatic animal farming is highly concentrated, with the top five producing countries accounting for 90 per cent of the continent’s output. The leading producer is Egypt with 1.6 million tonnes in 2024 (66 per cent of the regional total), followed by Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia.

Africa's capacity to produce aquatic animal foods is still limited to 9.1 kg per person per year – less than half the global average of 21.1 kg per person per year in 2023. Africa, however, maintains a positive trade balance (US$2bn) and a net gain in protein (126 000 tonnes), as it exports high-value commodities and imports low-value, yet nutrient-rich, aquatic animal products that support food security and nutrition. 

Africa's fisheries and aquaculture industry is primarily led by small-scale operators. Small-scale fisheries form the backbone of both marine and inland production systems, driving local economies and food distribution, supporting household nutrition, subsistence activities and informal markets. Women play a particularly important role in post-harvest activities such as processing and marketing.

“When accounting for the full value chain, including informal and subsistence activities, the sector supports tens of millions of livelihoods across the African region, both directly and indirectly,” says Abebe Haile-Gabriel. “Strengthening fisheries and aquaculture will be essential to meet growing demand, improve food security and sustain livelihoods across Africa.”

World Bank Steps Up Review of Liberia’s Flagship Fisheries Programme.

A World Bank Implementation Support Mission is currently taking place in Monrovia as part of ongoing oversight of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project, one of the country’s most important investments in food security, jobs and coastal economic growth.

Led by World Bank Task Team Leader Ngao Mubanga, the mission is focused on reviewing progress, strengthening technical delivery and ensuring that planned activities under the project are completed on time and to the required standard. The project is being implemented by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, commonly known as NaFAA.

According to an official statement, the mission is assessing a range of priority investments that span infrastructure development, fisheries value chains, institutional strengthening and private sector participation. Among the major activities under review are preparations for a modern fisheries complex, progress under the aquapreneurs incubation programme and renovation works at NaFAA’s regional headquarters in Harper, Maryland County.

The aquapreneurs initiative stands out as a key livelihood programme under the project. It is expected to conclude with the competitive allocation of fiberglass fishing canoes, aimed at improving safety at sea, modernising artisanal fishing methods and boosting productivity for small scale fishers.

“The objective of this mission is to ensure that implementation remains aligned with agreed standards and that project benefits are delivered efficiently to Liberians who depend on the fisheries sector for their livelihoods,”  Mubanga said, underlining the World Bank’s focus on results driven development.

The mission is also reviewing efforts to establish a dedicated call centre to strengthen the Fisheries Information Management System, which supports data based decision making and monitoring of fishing activities. Alongside this, progress is being made on a Public Private Partnership framework to attract private investment into fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure.

Other components under review include construction of a 1.2 kilometre access road, as well as development of a 10 Year Fisheries Strategic and Investment Plan for 2026 to 2035. The plan is expected to be launched at the National Fisheries Investment Conference on March 30 and 31, 2026, by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

During the mission, the World Bank team will visit canoe manufacturing sites, meet beneficiaries of the Women’s Empowerment Grant Programme and inspect the Klay Fish Hatchery in Bomi County to ensure quality, community impact and environmental compliance.

“These field engagements are critical,” a NaFAA official noted. “They allow both the Bank and the implementing agency to directly hear from beneficiaries and ensure that investments are meeting community needs while respecting environmental standards.”

Fishmeal plant strengthens west coast fisheries.

The South African government has welcomed a major R170 million investment by the African Pioneer Group into a new fishmeal plant at Sandy Point Harbour in St Helena Bay, Western Cape.

The facility is set to boost local and export supply chains by producing a range of fish products and strengthening the small pelagic sector’s value chain.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp,said, “This facility is so much more than an expansion of processing capacity. It is a strategic intervention in the small pelagic value chain that strengthens domestic beneficiation, enhances operational efficiency, and positions South Africa to extract greater economic value from each tonne of fish harvested,” he said. He added that the project “strengthens local opportunities without increasing pressure on the resource base” and represents investment in communities and the future of South Africa’s fishing industry.

Aucamp emphasised and added, “The more than R170 million investment represented by this facility contributes directly to sustainable industrial growth in a priority coastal node,” he said, highlighting the partnership between government, science and the fishing industry as central to sustainable marine resource management.

The small pelagic sector plays a crucial role in coastal employment, food security, animal feed supply chains, and export earnings, especially along the West Coast. However, it is also highly vulnerable to environmental variability and climate-driven shifts. The Minister pointed to recent scientific assessments showing major fluctuations in biomass and recruitment, particularly the record-low anchovy recruitment in 2025 and persistently low sardine populations.

In response, the sector has been urged to diversify fishing efforts towards more abundant species such as round herring, which has shown strong biomass performance. “This species now plays a critical buffering role in maintaining throughput in the pelagic sector during periods when sardine and anchovy are constrained,” the Minister said. He explained that investments like the Sandy Point fishmeal plant support resilience by enabling efficient processing of a wider species mix, reducing waste, improving turnaround times, and stabilising supply to downstream industries.

Overall, the plant is seen as a strategic move towards sustainable industrialisation and strengthened marine beneficiation, aligning with the Oceans Economy Master Plan and the government’s industrial policy framework.