The WA2017 meeting attracted an entirely new pan-African participation to the international aquaculture community, with 1,297 of the delegates originating from 33 African countries. The total number of delegates at WA2017 was 1,981 representing 87 countries, which was complemented by the well supported trade show with 87 exhibitors.
The conference theme, “Sustainable Aquaculture – New Frontiers for Economic Growth – Spotlight on Africa” highlighted the potential of aquaculture production to support economic development and investment opportunities in Africa - the world’s second fastest growing regional economy. The presentations and trade show activity confirmed that aquaculture in Africa is in a high growth phase, strongly supported by investors, government and international development and finance institutions.
World Aquaculture 2017 attracted sponsorship and support from African governments, development institutions and the commercial sector. These included the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the African Union’s Inter-African Union for Animal Resources and NEPAD, and the WorldFish Centre. The industry Gold Sponsor was the Aller-Aqua group from Denmark, which has indicated its confidence in the growing aquafeed market in Africa by making investments in feed manufacture and distribution in Egypt, Nigeria and Zambia.
The “Spotlight on Africa” theme provided a fascinating profile of the rapidly evolving sector in Africa. Keynote presentations by Dr. Rohanna Subasinghe, former Chief of Aquaculture for FAO, and Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, Acting Country Director with WorldFish Zambia, outlined the growing fish deficit in Africa and unfolding continental policies to support aquaculture development. Regional status reports highlighted the rapidly growing African aquaculture production, particularly catfish in Nigeria and tilapia in Egypt, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia. In recognition of the early developmental stage of African Aquaculture, special sessions on Developing African Aquaculture Value Chains, Financing African Aquaculture and African Aquaculture Policy Day were organized by the African Union, NEPAD, World Bank and WorldFish.
A highlight of the event was the consensus achieved to launch an African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society. Substantial institutional support was committed to this process with the African Union’s NEPAD Agency agreeing to host a WAS African Chapter Office and the South African DAFF providing seed finance.
The Spotlight on Africa theme concluded with the WorldFish/SADC African Aquaculture Policy Day, which resulted in a joint policy statement being released by the Southern and East African Development Community stakeholders encouraging the establishment cooperative institutional frameworks for effective governance, creation of consolidated R&D centers of excellence for coordinated sustainable aquaculture research and investment in capacity building and educational programs.
Photo: Dr. Ron Hardy receives Honorary Life member Award from WAS President Juan Pablo Lazo
