Fishing in East africa Community...
Aquaculture has the potential to make a significant contribution to food security and income
generation. Dutch private companies, knowledge institutes and ministries are involved in various
aquaculture projects throughout Africa. In a number of countries belonging to the East African
Community (EAC) there is currently insufficient knowledge at governmental as well as at private
sector level about: the fish value chain, inter-linkages of the value chain across East African countries,
the potential for sustainable aquaculture development in the region, business opportunities for Dutch
companies, and possible linkages to the FoodTechAfrica (FTA) project. Therefore the present study has
been requested and financed both by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the FTA consortium.
The linkages and interdependency of the fish and/or aquaculture value chain across the four EAC
countries (Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda) have been analyzed. The biggest fish consumers
are Uganda, Tanzania and to a lesser extend Kenya. In order to maintain present levels of fish
consumption in these countries, considerable additional quantities of fish are required through
aquaculture.
In EAC countries, considerable quantities of Tilapia are being fished and traded regionally. Trade in
Tilapia is mainly price driven. This implies a potential risks for the development of tilapia aquaculture
since aquaculture fish has to compete with wild catch and with imports. With stagnating wild catches
and the strong increase in demand, competition between wild and cultured tilapia is considered to be a
temporarily situation.
To stimulate the regional production of farmed fish, the EAC put a high import duty of 25% on fish
from outside the EAC. However, only where the internal production cannot fulfil the total demand,
import of cheap (pelagic) fish is becoming important. As well as fish, imported fish feed from outside
the EAC is charged with an import duty (20%). The import duty on feed will encourage local feed
manufacturing (within the EAC), but is presently a constraint in absence of locally produced high
quality starter and grow-out feeds.
Aquaculture across the countries concerned is a modest industry, and at the present speed of
development cannot cope with the expected strong increase in demand for fish and fish products.
Therefore, considerable efforts are required in order to accelerate the development of aquaculture in
the EAC. Among the main bottlenecks are the availability of high quality feed, access to investment
and running capital, knowledge for sustainable high productive fish culture systems, and good quality
fingerlings. A coordinated approach involving different public and private actors in the EAC region and
from the Netherlands is essential in order to realize the aquaculture potential in the EAC.
The identified interventions include transfer of technology and capacity building at various levels, the
development of simplified recirculation aquaculture technology for small holders, improved quality
monitoring and control of fish feeds, and policy influencing to encourage governments to (temporarily)
reduce import duties on high quality fish feeds. These interventions are preferable addressed through
a concerted Food Security program focussed on aquaculture. Any future capacity building
interventions should address the proper
For Tanzania and Rwanda the aquaculture value chains have been analysed in detail. In both countries
the current status of aquaculture is very modest while natural resources are sufficiently available. On
the input side, quality seeds/fingerlings and feeds, and access to investment capital are the major
constraints. The demand for tilapia is high and will continue to grow in the coming decade as a result
of population growth, increased buying power and popularity of tilapia, but the market potential is
much better in Tanzania than in Rwanda. The cage culture of tilapia in Lake Victoria, Lake Kivu and
possibly other lakes has a big potential provided that governments regulate a sustainable growth of
this type of aquaculture.
1.2 Problem definition & aim
In a number of East-African countries there is currently insufficient knowledge at governmental as well
as at private sector level about: the fish value chain, interlinkages of the value chain across East
African countries, the potential for sustainable aquaculture development in the region, business
opportunities for Dutch companies, and possible linkages to the FTA project.
Therefore, the aim of the current project is:
• To make a detailed assessment of the fish value chain in Tanzania and Rwanda, including the fish
market, the present situation regarding aquaculture production, the current availability and quality
of inputs such as feeds and stocking material, and the subsequent development potential of a
sustainable environmentally sound aquaculture sector.
• To give an overview of the interdependence of the countries in the East-African region in the aqua
value chain and identify the opportunities and interests of the countries involved and local producers
(nutrition, employment, food security, economic);
• To identify interests and opportunities for Dutch involvement (public and private) in the aquaculture
value chain in Eastern Africa, to investigate opportunities for strengthening of the aquaculture value
chain (with Dutch private sector involvement), possible through linkages to and contribution from
the FTA project, and through other instruments such as G2G and B2B and K2K.
The present study has been requested and financed both by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs
and the FTA consortium.
