This is the 34th post in a blog series to be published in 2022 by the Secretariat on behalf of the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the Calestous Juma Executive Dialogues (CJED)

The African Union needs to establish food security for millions of people facing hunger in Africa.[1] This is crucial for sustainable socio-economic development and the long-term prosperity of the continent. However, within the food systems of Africa, fish and other aquatic foods are performing various roles that generate income and serve as a vital supply of micronutrients. Therefore, addressing food security in a changing climate is crucial for the rising African population in the 21st century. It is also not simply about providing food, but a healthy and sustainable diet for the projected 2.4 billion African people by 2050.[2]

Africa offers various fish resources with enormous potential to significantly contribute to Africa's socio-economic progress and improve the livelihoods of its population. The African Union recognises the importance of the fisheries sector;[3] This is also reflected in the Malabo Declaration on the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation framework.[4] The Malabo Declaration has set a more targeted approach to accomplish the agricultural vision for the continent premised on shared prosperity and improved livelihoods.[5] Additionally, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) framework is designed to guide Africa's agricultural transformation for sustainable food security and socio-economic growth.[6]

Nutritionists have highlighted that diversifying food sources such as fish can enhance food and nutritional security.[7] Such provisions can benefit the potential of the fish resources to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and create wealth. Notably, CAADP aims to contribute 6% of fish resources to the agricultural growth of the continent.[8] Furthermore, the Sirte Declaration has called for regional collaboration in fisheries management and advocated the development of African fisheries resources.[9]

In Africa, fishing is essential for social and nutritional reasons as this industry supports food and nutrition provisions and creates jobs, especially among coastal communities. Additionally, it has been estimated that by 2030, the demand for fish will rise by 30% in Africa because of the rising costs per capita income and population.[10] For example, fisheries and aquaculture contributed approximately US$24 billion (1.3% of the continent's GDP) to the African economy as of 2011.[11] This represented over 12 million people employed in the sector, whereby 58% were working in fishing and 42% in fish processing. Additionally, for nearly 400 million Africans, fish and fisheries products represent their major source of protein.[12]

Fundamentally, Africa lags behind other regions in developing its world fish production, consumption, and trade share. This is observed, despite the enormous potential of the fishery industry.[13] However, the African fish industry, especially in land-based sources, continues to be threatened by pollution, insecurity, piracy, illegal and harmful fishing practices, and climate change.[14] Notably, Africa's fisheries are facing substantial challenges that are potentially restricting the capability of African governments to safeguard the sustainability and profitability of the industry. Additionally, the lack of better and varied fish breed feeds, technical training, limited fishery research capacity, insufficient financial and human resources, limited market infrastructure and access, and restricted governance and regulatory frameworks are significantly impeding the advancement of the fisheries sector. As such, African governments should address the continual fish post-harvest losses and waste, as more than a quarter of the harvested fish are lost.[15]

Reports have shown that overfishing negatively impacts fish populations globally by decreasing biodiversity and changing ecosystem functioning.[16] Over the long term, this threatens the food security and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of Africans. Therefore, it is imperative to formulate well-balanced and efficient fishery management mechanisms to strengthen biodiversity. The fishing management system should ensure accuracy and consistency to address the growing uncertainty about stock status. This can also enable adjustment and management reference points per the environmental alterations. This requires higher spatial resolution and temporal fisheries data over shorter timescales to effectively monitor and manage the changing oceanic conditions due to anthropogenic climate changes and natural climate variabilities.

The African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) urges the African Union Member States to embrace emerging technologies that can enhance fishing management systems. For example, accessibility to cloud-based computing can be utilised for data storage of fish agriculture and artificial intelligence for fish disease and behaviour analysis. These emerging technologies can potentially benefit fishery-dependent data systems by expanding and streamlining data collection, automating, and empowering data professionals. Fish data collection can effectively enhance fish reporting capacities by strengthening on-board passive sensory systems such as cameras and global positioning systems.[17]

Additionally, new information and monitoring technologies can potentially revolutionise fisheries management systems and contribute to the industry's pursuit of green growth. These technologies can also gather more information on fish stocks, offer better monitoring tools, enforce the environmental impacts assessment of fisheries activities, and increase the efficiency of policies for sustainable fisheries management systems.

APET suggests that these digital technologies can expand the distribution and accessibility of data to fishermen across the African continent. This will allow AU Member States to optimise their fishing activities based on the best available information. Fundamentally, such data can inform a majority of the fishing policies to collate with the fishermen's experiences and perspectives. By consulting the fishermen, AU Member States can formulate fishery policies that reflect the experiences of fish farmers and enhance the implementation of the policies. For example, smartphone applications can enable African governments to communicate with fishermen to understand their livelihoods and ocean dynamics to implement beneficial measures and mechanisms. These digital technologies can also help provide a variety of aquaculture-related extension services and communication materials to facilitate capacity strengthening, good practices, and uptake of technologies by fishermen.

Cage fish farming has gained traction in some AU Member States, such as tilapia farming in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[18] This farming practice requires utilising cages, which are typically floated in rafts, and attaching them to the bottom of a water body. In some cases, these cages are connected to the shore with the help of a wooden walkway. Even though cage fish farming is expanding quickly in Africa, there are still several difficulties.[19] These difficulties include farmers' inability to prevent fish from dying when the water temperatures change. To address this challenge, farmers in Kenya are utilising internet-based sensor software to monitor temperatures in ponds and shores. This enables farmers to care for and feed their fish near the Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria.[20]

Fish farmers are also using sensors to monitor and estimate the amount of daily feed. These sensors utilise the internet of things technology to relay environmental information such as temperature, turbidity, pH, and conductivity. For example, the AquaRech application can send feeding instructions to the farmers and help them with feeding scheduling and protocols. This helps farmers best maintain feeding schedules to enable better digestion and the release of harmful bacteria from the fish's bloodstream.[21] Notably, this AquaRech application is benefitting approximately 30,000 fish farmers across Kenya.[22]

Most AU Member States are challenged with monitoring their vast coastal areas to alleviate illegal and unsustainable fishing practices. Traditionally, these AU Member States utilise small boats to monitor their coastal shores for illegal practices, which turns out to be rather expensive, tedious and time-consuming. However, the advent of drone technology on the continent allows African governments and fisheries departments to monitor fishing activities effortlessly. For example, the Seychelles Fishing Authority has expanded its monitoring reach by acquiring drones to carry out near-shore operations supporting fisheries surveillance initiatives.[23] Worth noting is that drones are offering an advantage in fish monitoring of more effortless and speedy deployment, operational cost savings, and enhanced safety, reach, and coverage.[24]

Furthermore, artificial intelligence-enabled drone technology can be utilised to confirm the type of watercraft on which the drone latches. The AI-enabled drones can also assess if the fishing boats are operating in protected regions with the appropriate authorisation. This way, the drones can transmit the location of the boat and provide an identification number and the number of persons on board to authorities through satellite transmission. As a result, this enables governments to enforce sustainable fishing practices to essentially manage fish stocks.[25] AI also improves predictive analysis and data-based decision-making. It can detect underwater pollution and warn farmers before the environment endangers aquaculture. Through data collection, AI can help reduce overexploited fish species and implement sustainable harvesting practices.[26]

Finally, deploying and implementing smart technologies in fishing management remains critical to improving the productivity and resource management of fish production in Africa. APET believes that implementing new fish farming technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), AI-enabled drones, and remote satellite images can alleviate fish production challenges, thereby improving operational efficiency. Aquaculture involves industries, communities, policymakers, and scientists. [27]Adopting innovative and emerging technologies is key to enhancing it in Africa to feed a growing African population. Thus, AU Member States should provide a conducive and enabling environment to leverage these new technologies to address the existing fish value chain challenges in aqua farming and improve overall production.

Featured Bloggers – APET Secretariat

Justina Dugbazah

Barbara Glover

Bhekani Mbuli

Chifundo Kungade

Nhlawulo Shikwambane

 

[1] https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20221015/galvanizing-support-build-resilient-and-sustianable-food-systems-food.

[2] Chan, C. Y., Tran, N., Cheong, K. C., Sulser, T. B., Cohen, P. J., Wiebe, K., & Nasr-Allah, A. M. (2021). The future of fish in Africa: Employment and investment opportunities. PloS one, 16(12), e0261615. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261615.

[3] https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/africa-program-for-fisheries.

[4] https://www.resakss.org/sites/default/files/Malabo%20Declaration%20on%20Agriculture_2014_11%2026-.pdf.

[5] https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC168150/.

[6] https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/41425-doc-31250-doc-the_caadp_results_framework_2015-2025_english_edited_1-1.pdf.

[7] Govender, L., Pillay, K., Siwela, M., Modi, A., & Mabhaudhi, T. (2016). Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Selected Rural Communities of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa-Linking Human Nutrition and Agriculture. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14010017.

[8] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08adb40f0b652dd00093c/FAC_Policy_Brief_No40.pdf.

[9] https://www.nepad.org/publication/unlocking-potential-contribution-of-fisheries-and-aquaculture-agricultural.

[10] https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/africa-program-for-fisheries#:~:text=Fisheries%20contribute%20to%20Africa's%20economy,%25%20in%20the%20processing%20sector).

[11] https://www.fao.org/3/i3720e/i3720e.pdf.

[12] https://unctad.org/system/files/non-official-document/ditc-ted-oceans-ssi-blue-economy-2016.pdf.

[13] Chin Yee Chan and Nhuong Tran and Shanali Pethiyagoda and Charles C. Crissman and Timothy B. Sulser and Michael J. Phillips, Prospects and challenges of fish for food security in Africa, Global Food Security, 20, 17-25, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2018.12.002.

[14] https://phys.org/news/2022-10-biggest-threats-west-africa-oceans.html#:~:text=The%20extensive%20theft%20of%20local,fin%20tuna%20are%20increasingly%20endangered.

[15] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912418300439.

[16] U. Rashid Sumaila and Travis C. Tai, MINI REVIEW article, Front. Mar. Sci., 15 July 2020, Sec. Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00523.

[17] Graham, N. & Jones, Emma & Reid, Dave. (2004). Review of technological advances for the study of fish behaviour in relation to demersal fishing trawls. Ices Journal of Marine Science - ICES J MAR SCI. 61. 1036-1043. 10.1016/j.icesjms.2004.06.006.

[18] https://www.fao.org/3/a1290e/a1290e08.pdf.

[19] Using internet technology to improve cage fish farming. https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/358/195839.html.

[20] https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/features/using-internet-technology-to-improve-cage-fish-farming/.

[21] https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/features/using-internet-technology-to-improve-cage-fish-farming/.

[22] Why we Invested: AquaRech is unlocking the potential of smallholder fish farmers in Kenya, Matias Gonzalez Orozco, July 28, 2022. https://bfaglobal.com/catalyst-fund/insights/why-we-invested-aquarech-is-unlocking-the-potential-of-smallholder-fish-farmers-in-kenya/.

[23] https://allafrica.com/stories/202103310947.html.

[24] https://adf-magazine.com/2021/12/drones-offer-extra-eyes-in-illegal-fishing-battle/.

[25] Drones offer extra eyes in illegal fishing battle, Africa Defense Forum, 15th Dec 2021. https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/drones-offer-extra-eyes-in-illegal-fishing-battle/.

[26] https://agrilinks.org/post/advanced-technology-and-aquaculture-drones-and-artificial-intelligence-make-difference

[27] https://en.ird.fr/aquaculture-key-element-food-security-africa