The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Nigeria Director, Mr Fred Kafeeri, has expressed concern that increased pressure on the ecosystems and the impact of climate change continue to hamper fisheries and aquaculture sectors’ contribution of economic growth, food and nutritional security.
Kafeero who spoke on Tuesday during the FISH4ACP Catfish Value Chain Analysis Validation Workshop in Abuja, said the production of fisheries in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries has grown from 4.6 million tonnes in 1990 to 8.5 million tonnes 8n 2016 as aquaculture production jumped from 50, 000 tonnes to 790, 000 tonnes within the same period.
According to him, the production represents less than ten percent of global fish trade as Nigeria’s aquaculture production increased from 22,000 tonnes to over 300,000 tonnes in 2017.
Kafeero however noted that despite this steady growth in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, the benefits do not always reach communities who rely on them for their livelihoods and food security.
He said that the FISH4ACP which is five-year initiative currently implemented by FAO and other partners was designed to address these gaps by contributing to food and nutrition security, economic prosperity and job creation and ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the intervention seeks to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of twelve fisheries and aquaculture value chains in ten OACPS member countries, making sure that economic improvements go hand in hand with environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness.
Kafeero explained that the project in Nigeria, focuses on catfish, beginning with a comprehensive analysis of the catfish value chain to help generate evidence and strategy that will aligned to the strategic objectives of the project.
Declaring the workshop open, director, federal ministry of agriculture and rural development, Ime Umo appreciated the FAO for organising such workshop for the transformation of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Nigeria.
