The FAO encourages Côte d’Ivoire to continue developing its aqua farming sector. While its fish consumption needs are estimated at 600,000 tonnes per year, the country produces between 8,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes through aquaculture, resulting in a significant deficit in fishery resources, which is met through imports.
During a masterclass at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition, which opened on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Abidjan, Pierre Philippe Blanc, a consultant for the FAO, called for massive investment in aquaculture and for young people to get involved in this underexploited sector.
For Pierre Philippe Blanc, “aquaculture must be supported by governments and must become a priority, because the resources in the oceans are gradually no longer sufficient to feed the populations” of the planet.
Aquaculture is the entire range of farming activities in inland or marine waters with the aim of improving production.
It includes pisciculture (fish farming), shellfish farming (farming marine shellfish: oysters, mussels), and carcinoculture (shrimp and crayfish farming).
“Côte d’Ivoire consumes 600,000 tonnes of fish, of which between 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes come from aquaculture per year,” Pierre Philippe Blanc observed, noting that the country “imports aquacultured tilapia from China.”
According to Pierre Philippe Blanc, in terms of aquaculture, worldwide, “the fish we consume represent 57%” in 2024, while “fishing only represents 43%.”Hence, “we harvest more fish through aquaculture
than through fishing.
And this has been the case for almost five years.” This is the first time that aquaculture products have exceeded all fish harvested, he said. However, “Africa is not at 50%, we are at rates that fluctuate between 5, 10, and 15%. So there is a lot of progress to be made.”
Pierre Philippe, who has been supporting the Fish4ACP project in Côte d’Ivoire since 2021, took the opportunity of this Masterclass on aquaculture, a sustainable source of fish protein, to call on the authorities to “help this sector grow.”
Today, “aquaculture has overtaken fishing and there are many more products coming from aquaculture than from fishing,” he said, noting that “there is a lot of potential in Africa, and this potential is just beginning.”
Nafi Tour”, senior consultant for Amarante, a financial intelligence organization, emphasized that the organization supports cooperatives and producers in financing, through the structuring of their businesses and sustainable financial practices to ensure they are fully bankable and have access to financing.
Her organization, she said, “supports very small producers to gain access to nanofinancing through their group.”
As part of this exhibition, which ends this weekend, she is organizing a forum on aquaculture finance to improve the aquaculture financial ecosystem.
According to Nafi Toure”, “aquaculture is a young sector in Côte d’Ivoire (and) the challenge today is to be able to strengthen production” as well as “knowledge and understanding of the activity for financial institutions.”
The Aquaculture Masterclass highlighted that fish feed accounts for over 60% of producers’ operating expenses, hence the need to create feed production units for sustainable farming.
Côte d’Ivoire has over 500km of coastline, over 300km of lagoons, and four major rivers. The fishing sector directly supports over 100,000 people and generates over 500,000 indirect jobs.
AP/Sf/fss/gik/APA