Africa’s small-scale fisheries play a critical role in global food security and must be supported with greater research and investment, say international and African experts.
Industry, NGO, government and academic representatives attended Murdoch University’s second Blue Economy Symposium in Tunis last week as part of the Africa Blue Economy Forum (ABEF) 2019 and Murdoch University’s Third Commission, a research investigation focusing on issues of public concern to Africa.
Fish accounts for more than one-fifth of the protein intake of African south of the Sahara and provides a livelihood to millions of people.
Murdoch University Adjunct Professor, Dr. Jeremy Prince, who attended the symposium and is contributing to the work the Third Commission in this area, said the collective value of the small scale fisheries of Africa was too big to ignore.
“It is critical that we stabilise and rebuild these fisheries to ensure both food security and the future of the blue economy,” Dr Prince said. “The time to act is now.”
Discussions at the Tunis symposium provided useful insights and contributions to the fine-tuning of the focus and narrative of the Blue Economy chapter of the Third Commission’s report. A strong emphasis was placed on the need to highlight clear and innovative actions to effect lasting transformation of the blue economy in Africa.
