Madagascar recently presented a five-year national action plan outlining measures to help the country increase its fish production to meet the expected increasing demand for seafood from its growing population.
The plan, launched by the southeast African country’s Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, aims to increase annual fish production by 116 percent to 307,000 tonnes by the end of 2028, compared to the country’s current production of 142,000 tonnes.
“It will be imperative to increase national (fish) production,” said Madagascar’s Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Paubert Mahatante.
The new plan will enable Madagascar to introduce fishing quotas, create marine protected areas and diversify sources of income for fishing communities within the next five years. To ensure the country can achieve its ambitious goals, the plan places great emphasis on the production of aquaculture products.
Currently, Madagascan aquaculture production is estimated at 30,000 tonnes per year, representing 21 percent of total national fish production.
“The most viable way to achieve this ambitious goal in the short term is to promote aquaculture,” Koko Chantal de Cupertino, Madagascar’s regional director for fisheries and blue economy, told SeafoodSource.
Cupertino, who is also a member of the Annual Aquaculture Network for Africa (ANAF), expressed optimism that Madagascar is “on the right track to achieve the goal and implement reforms to make the fisheries and aquaculture sector one of the pillars of the socio-economic development of the population.”
Examples of successful aquaculture projects on the island include shrimps distributed by Unima Distribution, based in Paris. The Madagascan products won two awards at the Seafood Excellence Global Awards 2023 for comfort and quality.
China also has invested in aquaculture production on the island.
While Cupertino expressed optimism that aquaculture operations such as shrimp farms can expand and succeed, there are challenges that could stand in the way.
Yannick Memee, Western Indian Ocean Regional Coordinator at the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), said Madagascar faces poor infrastructure, weak regulatory enforcement, environmental concerns and socio-economic issues that could hamper the country’s ambition to sustainably increase its fish production.
“Rural areas in Madagascar often suffer from poor infrastructure, such as inadequate roads and electricity, which limits access to markets and hampers the development of aquaculture,” he told SeafoodSource.
Memee said the lack of proper cold chain facilities in the country can sometimes lead to post-harvest losses when production is ramped up.
“Investments in infrastructure are critical to improve supply chains and reduce waste,” he said.
Other challenges hampering both aquaculture and fisheries production include climate change. Increased fish production in Madagascar requires urgent action to combat the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, according to Memee.In addition, the country’s waters have long been subject to severe overfishing, which puts pressure on stocks.
“The country lacks sufficient patrol vessels and surveillance technology, making it difficult to detect and prevent illegal fishing activities by foreign vessels,” Memee said.
Madagascar has taken measures to alleviate the problem, including Participation in FiTI and the subsequent Publication of detailed digital transparency reports. Meme said the new five-year plan includes restrictions on fishing, but stressed that Madagascar must learn from previous failed attempts to introduce such a system.
“The lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework can lead to overfishing, as can be seen in some regions where local authorities struggle to effectively monitor and control fishing activities,” he said. “A successful rights allocation system requires input from a range of stakeholders, including local fishermen, government officials and industry representatives, to ensure that the system is fair and reflects the needs of all stakeholders.”
The Malagasy authorities are confident that the five-year plan will help to remove these barriers, thereby improving domestic production and encouraging young Malagasy people to pursue careers in fishing and aquaculture.
“By strengthening the skills of fishermen through education and training, we want to ensure that small-scale fishing remains a profitable and sustainable activity for future generations,” said Mahatante.
