The United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)and partners are analysing the oyster value chain in Senegal as part of a joint programme.
A major fisheries and aquaculture development programme by FAO has shown that it is possible to significantly boost Senegal’s oyster sector, making it more self-sufficient, creating jobs and conserving biological stocks. Senegal is one of the top five countries out of a total of 12 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries analysed as part of a global programme to develop the fish value chain called FISH4ACP.
The study, copied to APA, showed that Senegal’s considerable potential for oyster production and increasing the number of oyster beds could meet local demand and support the development of modern oyster farming.
The country aims to increase national production by 30% to 21,000 tonnes by 2031, meeting over 80% of domestic demand, almost tripling value added to US$12.6 million and almost doubling employment from 6,500 to 11,000.
FISH4ACP is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, implemented by FAO. It aims to make fisheries and aquaculture value chains more productive and sustainable, and in particular to support women, who play a crucial role in the fish value chain, i.e. the whole process of adding value to the product.
“This initiative is an important step in the blue transformation of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It will not only benefit fishers and their communities, but also ensure growth that goes hand in hand with environmental sustainability and social inclusion,” said Gilles Van De Walle, FAO’s Senior Technical Adviser for the FISH4ACP programme.
“We are delighted that the FISH4ACP programme is coming to fruition and the full potential of fisheries and aquaculture is beginning to be realised in regional countries. There is an urgent need to strengthen our fisheries and aquaculture sectors. They make a huge contribution to economic growth, decent jobs and food and nutrition security,” said Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
The European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development are currently funding the FISH4ACP programme to the tune of €47 million.
“This programme stands out for its focus on the three aspects of sustainability – economic, environmental and social. As the FISH4ACP programme enters a new phase, it will be possible to strike a balance between production and conservation, contribute to a fair distribution of income and decent working conditions, and promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific,” said Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit in the European Union’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships.
“We are pleased to see that everything is in place to put the comprehensive value chain approach of the FISH4ACP programme at the service of fisheries and aquaculture development.”
TE/lb/abj/APA