Key Insights from the 5th FishGov 2 Technical Meeting on Africa’s Fisheries

The Fifth Project Technical Coordination Committee Meeting for the FishGov 2 Project, titled “Enhancing Sustainable Fisheries Management and Aquaculture Development in Africa,” is being held on December 4–5, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This important gathering serves as a platform to review progress, foster synergies, and map the way forward in achieving the project’s goals under the framework of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

The meeting began with an official opening ceremony moderated by Dr. Mohamed Seisay, Fisheries Management Expert at AU-IBAR. The session featured welcome remarks from AU-IBAR, alongside statements from the FAO Regional Office for Africa and the EU Delegation to the African Union. Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the African Union Commission (AUC), delivered the opening address, highlighting the meeting’s alignment with the strategic priorities of the FishGov 2 Project.

Dr. Bernice Mclean of AUDA-NEPAD emphasized the importance of partnerships in maximizing the potential of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, noting their critical role in enhancing Africa’s global resilience. She stressed that addressing Africa’s challenges requires a cross-sectoral approach, with initiatives like FishGov 2 making significant progress. Fisheries and aquaculture are central to advancing the blue economy goals outlined in Agenda 2063, and coordinated efforts will be essential to achieving impactful outcomes, with 2025 presenting an important opportunity for further integration into the broader blue economy framework.

Pierre Murekezi from the FAO Regional Office for Africa underlined the complementary roles between FAO and the FishGov 2 Project. He affirmed FAO’s commitment to addressing challenges in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, focusing on governance, sustainability, and inclusion. FAO is offering technical support for evidence-based policy development and promoting gender equality, aiming to generate innovative solutions to strengthen governance and create inclusive opportunities.

Dr. Bahiigwa, in his opening remarks, recognized the European Union’s continued support, from the FishTrade Project to FishGov 1 and now FishGov 2, noting that their partnership has been vital in driving the success of these initiatives. He emphasized that the endorsement of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regional Strategy (PFRS) has strengthened their approach, providing more targeted strategies for governance and sustainability. Moving forward, he urged continued collaboration to advance Africa’s fisheries sector.

Mr. Michal Kielar, representing the EU Delegation to the African Union, highlighted the EU's commitment to supporting Africa's development and strengthening fisheries and aquaculture governance. He emphasized the importance of a scientific approach, solid data, policy coherence, and shared goals among all stakeholders. The EU remains committed to ensuring the success of FishGov 2, which aims to create a sustainable and prosperous future for the fisheries sector, providing employment, food security, and poverty reduction opportunities.

The first day of the FishGov 2 meeting focused on technical presentations and synergies, addressing policy support, communications and knowledge management, and regional fisheries management. The second day will explore forward-looking strategies and synergies, including post-FishGov 2 priorities, EU priorities for fisheries and aquaculture, and networking and capacity-building outcomes. The meeting aims to produce actionable recommendations and a strengthened framework to position Africa as a leader in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management.