PROFISHBLUE: Strengthening the Blue Economy strategy and investment plan for Southern Africa

2 July 2024, Kariba - The inland fisheries sector in Southern Africa has a crucial role to play in providing food security and nutrition, particularly for poorer segments of the population to sustain livelihoods while driving economic development. However, this has not been translated into widespread recognition of the importance of inland fisheries and the need to sustainably manage them.

Stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture sector under the PROFISHBLUE programme gathered in Kariba this week to develop a regional Blue Economy strategy and investment plan for Lake Kariba shared waterbody. The overall objective of the programme is to promote sustainable management of fisheries resources within the Blue Economy context to improve food security and nutrition, create employment through value chain activities, facilitate intra-regional trade, and build adaptive capacity.

The meeting was also anchored on how to support Zambia and Zimbabwe to further develop their capacities for sustainable management and use of aquatic resources in the two riparian countries guided by the under-arching approaches of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Blue Transformation strategy.

“The collaboration between the two countries for more sustainable systems is progressing each year and I am confident that this new project will succeed. This programme will set the tone for more Blue Economy sectors’ sustainable economic growth in the SADC region,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa.

In 2023, FAO and the SADC Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Agreement to implement two components of the PROFISHBLUE programme, that is, a Joint fisheries assessment in Lake Tanganyika, and the Blue Economy strategy and investment plan for Lake Kariba. The programme is funded by the African Development Bank to the tune of close to USD 1 million for the two components implemented by FAO and close to USD 9 million for the whole programme implemented in the 16 SADC countries.

“This programme aligns very well with the SADC Fisheries Protocol which came into force in 2001. Let me encourage stakeholders to view this programme as an opportunity beyond the confinement of their countries but for regional integration within the Blue Economy Context in line with the SADC vision,” said Alexander Kefi, PROFISHBLUE Project Coordinator under the Directorate of Food Agriculture and Natural Resources in the SADC Secretariat.

During the meeting, stakeholders had the opportunity to reflect on the project workplan with the objective to prepare a desk review, consultation, and compilation of information for the Blue Economy strategy plan and investment plans. At the end of the preparatory phase, the Blue Economy stakeholders will define the common priority options and common vision for the strategic plan and a participatory process will be developed further to validate a Blue Economy strategic and investment plan.

“Zambia recently launched its National Blue Economy Strategy that provides a framework to accelerate and unlock its blue economic growth, contribute to job creation, increase incomes and help to conserve the aquatic environment. Therefore, collaborative efforts between the two countries could not have come at a better time in view of the numerous challenges affecting the Lake, albeit the need for socio-economic growth and development,” said Evans Mutanuka, Director in the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Zambia.

During the meeting, the PROFISHBLUE programme stakeholders agreed and developed a workplan which is co-owned and will be co-implemented by the two riparian countries. The workplan will be implemented until mid 2025 and one of the recommendations from the inception meeting is to define the mechanism to be implemented to ensure the strategy implementation at the end of the project.

The participants emphasized the need to collaborate further between the countries and the lead institutions inside the countries and promote synergies to ensure that the Blue Economy objectives are achieved. Further collaboration between the inland waterbodies at SADC regional level is also encouraged.