Catalysing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development for the future in OACPS member states

The 7th Meeting of Ministers in charge of fisheries and aquaculture from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) member states took place in Ghana from 5 to 8 April 2022. Leading policy-makers, practitioners and professionals gathered to discuss priorities of the OACPS for the sustainable development and growth of its fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu addressed the Ministerial Meeting in a video message stating “We must collectively ensure the sustainable expansion of aquaculture to respond to the future demand for aquatic foods, and to continue to upgrade aquatic value chains, such as through the FISH4ACP project, to improve social, economic and environmental benefits,”. He added that the Ministerial Meeting was “a good opportunity to set in motion a blue transformation to ensure nutritious and affordable diets for the most vulnerable, while fostering equitable growth and poverty reduction”.

The event was preceded by a two-day preparatory meeting , which brought together delegates from 52 OACPS member states, as well as international partners and civil society representatives, with the objective of strengthening the governance of the fisheries sector, thereby contributing to overall sustainable development in the three regions.
FAO Liaison Office Brussels coordinated technical support by FAO's fisheries and aquaculture experts to the event's preparatory efforts.

As part of the event, FAO also organized a technical session on Scaling-up Sustainable and Inclusive Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chains to Transform Food Systems, during which FAO Chief Technical Advisor of the FISH4ACP project Gilles van de Walle outlined the aims and activities of this initiative. FISH4ACP aims to tackle some of the key challenges to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. These include low economic performance, limited market access and poor social and environmental sustainability. In his welcoming remarks, Van de Walle showcased the importance of the initiative in strengthening the resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture value chains in 12 OACPS member states.

Additionally, The FISH4ACP team organized a well-attended side event dedicated to the methodology and financing of the project, with a particular focus on the FISH4ACP strategy for the tilapia value chain in Côte d’Ivoire and the oyster value chain in Senegal.

You can read more about the FISH4ACP project here.