They are essential for the livelihoods of millions of people around the world.   World fisheries and aquaculture production is on the rise, with a new high of 223.2 million tonnes in 2022. An estimated 61.8 million people were employed in the primary production sector, mostly in small-scale operations. 24 percent of fishers and fish farmers were women[1].

Despite growing demand, actors in aquatic value chains (VCs) face a number of challenges including unsustainable production, lack of access to markets and diminishing community incomes. Consumption of fish protein is not evenly spread in the world and the 2022 FAO’s SOFIA report shows that 600- million livelihoods depend at least partially on fisheries and aquaculture[2]. Fish protein is essential nutrition for 3 billion people[3] and is an undeniable source of vitamins and micronutrients that contributes to healthy diets and nutrition security[4]. Fish stocks are decreasing dramatically in certain areas, the population is increasing and the world’s production peak is behind us.

Team Europe, in co-operation with FAO, is stepping up its support for fisheries and aquaculture in the ACP region. The Fish4ACP programme is scaling up investments in 12 aquatic food value chains in 12 ACP countries. The main objective is to increase their sustainability. By scaling up these investments, the programme seeks to promote the well-being of ecosystems and local populations, fostering sustainable development and inclusive economic growth. It is co-financed by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with a total contribution of 47.5M euros from 2020-2026, and implemented by FAO. It attempts to create an enabling environment, promote effective value chain management and trigger a positive spiral of best practices that will catalyse an aquatic food systems transformation.

Through the Multi-stakeholder Partnerships that have been established in each value chain, the Fish4ACP project has already delivered in-depth value chain analysis and action plans.  for increasing the sustainability of the 12 value chains.

Actions are set to deliver on all aspects of sustainability (economic, social and environmental) including gender equality. As examples of the Fish4ACP’s support, in Senegal where the oyster sector employs 13,000 people of which most are women, Fish4ACP will increase oyster national production in more than 30%, increase employment in the value chain by more than 60%. It will also improve the environmental impact by reducing harvest pressure on production areas by 12%t through the transition of 1 400 women harvesters in mangroves (12 percent of women harvesters) to oyster farming.[5]. In Sao Tome and Principe, Fish4ACP is implementing actions to ensure the sustainable and rational exploitation of coastal pelagics resources, by formulating, adopting and enforcing suitable management plans and control measures, while assuring the hygiene and sanitary quality of the value chain products. The project also improves processing infrastructure and enhancing empowerment, inclusiveness and equity for coastal communities.

Through the established partnerships in each supported value chain, Fish4ACP is empowering value chains small-scale actors, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses. There is a particular emphasis on women and young people. The implementation of the upgrading strategies across all participating countries is yielding a wealth of good practices and invaluable lessons.

To showcase these achievements, Fish4ACP is organising a Blue Food Forum[6] in Tanzania this September. The Forum will play a crucial role in identifying successful practices, key lessons learned, and opportunities for scaling and expansion. This event will not only benefit Fish4ACP but also other aquatic food value chain development initiatives. Additionally, the Forum will serve as a platform to explore resource and investment opportunities within the participating countries and the broader donor community. This will be pivotal in scaling up aquatic food value chain development efforts, spotlighting the achievements and future potential of the Fish4ACP project, and reinforcing its importance in sustainable aquatic food value chain development.

[1] 2023 SOFIA Report - https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a4151f1e-3130-4504-a7d7-4b066de59030/content

[2] https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/9c3ed6a3-c2de-4e4b-b315-9ad6891d8d11/content

[3] Climat, biodiversité : faut-il arrêter de manger du poisson ? - Podcast (lemonde.fr)

[4] https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/publication/council-conclusions-team-europe-response-global-food-insecurity_en

[5] https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/abeafa1a-554d-43ab-965c-ae0b982cdbec/content

[6] https://www.fao.org/in-action/fish-4-acp/resource-detail/en/c/1681996/