9. The Secretariat presented the document on "Sustainable commercial aquaculture: concept, benefits, pitfalls, conditions for development and major constraints in sub-Saharan Africa" by demonstrating that commercial aquaculture is one which seeks to maximize profit.
10. It was emphasized that: commercial aquaculture can contribute to food security, directly by producing fish for food and indirectly by generating employment income for the purchase of food; access to institutional loans is easier with commercial aquaculture; it will pay taxes, thereby contributing to government revenues; it can also be a source of foreign currencies through exports; even if consumed domestically, the output from commercial aquaculture may replace imported fish and thus save foreign exchange. Commercial aquaculture can pressure for improved infrastructure, promote the development of small communities and discourage youth from migrating to cities; commercial aquaculture will use family and hired labour on farms and in secondary industries. Labour productivity is higher in commercial aquaculture, which drives living standards up and ultimately alleviates poverty. Commercial aquaculture can stimulate research and technological development, some of it funded by the industry itself. Commercial aquaculture and rural aquaculture can be complementary and mutually supportive as rural aquaculture farms can be guaranteed an income by providing seed inputs to commercial farms. The diffusion of knowledge from commercial farms to rural aquaculture farmers through on-site training, technology transfer meetings and formal training sessions by commercial farms is possible. Commercial farms can also provide the latter with feed and seed loans and offer them market guarantees.
11. Major pitfalls were identified as being potential environmental damage (pollution and mangrove destruction, soil eutrophication) and social conflicts.
12. The paper also outlined conditions for commercial aquaculture to take off or develop. Specifically, it discussed the theory that for commercial aquaculture to flourish, technological conditions must be right; there must also be demonstrated economic viability and good returns on investment; necessary infrastructure must be in place, and farmers must have access to financial resources but above all, sound government policies are critical. Whether by providing the legal, political and fiscal framework for entrepreneurs to feel secure with their investments or by actively intervening to promote the sector, policy-makers have a critical role in successful commercial aquaculture; they can encourage or discourage private investment. Governments are also necessary to ensure long-term sustainability, by enacting environmental regulations, and encouraging environmental assessments.
13. The Workshop noted:
the yet unrealized great potential for commercial aquaculture in Zambia and Malawi;
the need to tackle the issues of feed, seeds and access to capital in order for aquaculture to develop in Zambia and Malawi;
the need to remind most farmers in Zambia and Malawi to conduct aquaculture as a private business activity where the role of the public sector needs to be clarified and kept at the very minimum;
the need to educate farmers on their responsibility vis-à-vis lending institutions when borrowing for aquaculture development;
the need for collaboration between the public and private sector involved in commercial aquaculture in identifying positive and negative experiences in commercial aquaculture;
that it is important to have policies to allow non-commercial (small-scale) and commercial aquaculture to co-exist.
