Improving Food Security and Reducing Poverty through intra-regional Fish Trade in sub-Saharan Africa
Project Brief/Background
The African Heads of State and Government, through the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods (Doc.Assembly/AU/2/(XXIII), committed to boosting Intra-African trade in Agricultural commodities and services.Additionally, the Heads of State and Government resolved to triple trade in agricultural commodities and services by 2025;and fish was enlisted as one of the priority commodities to spearhead improved trade. In 2014, the African Heads States and Governmental endorsed the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), among which priority is the promotion of responsible and equitable fish trade and marketing by significantly harnessing the benefits of Africa’s fisheries and aquaculture endowments.
In response to the above, the Fish Trade project has been established to facilitate the development of trade in fish and fisheries products in the African region by generating information and knowledge through research that will inform important policy decision making and their implementation.
Globally, fish is the most traded commodity and in Africa, fisheries and aquaculture play a major role in food and nutrition security. Fish contributes essential proteins, minerals and micronutrients to over 400 million people in Africa (World Fish, 2009). Further, continent wide, over 2.5 million people are involved in fishing and three times this number in trading and processing. Furthermore, total fisheries and aquaculture value added represent 1.26 percent of total GDP for African countries and 6.02 percent of total agricultural GDP (FAO, 2014). This means the livelihood of many African families is influenced or depends on the fisheries sector.
The fish commodity trade was valued at US$ 130 in 2013 globally. However, Africa’s contribution to global fish trade has been limited, accounting only for 4.9 percent of global fish trade despite important fisheries resources in its waters.
While there are increasing efforts to increase the production and access of staple cereals in the region, there is limited attention given to the improvement of the availability and access to fish and fish products to the more than 400 million people on the continent who depend on fish as a vital source of nutrition and livelihood.
Intra-African fish trade is constrained by inadequate market and trade infrastructure and deficient policies and institutional frameworks. These lead to high transportation costs, complex trade rules and inadequate market information, all of which prevent Africa from optimising the social and economic benefits available from fish trade.
Strengthening the management of the fisheries, promoting more effective policies and expanding fish trade opportunities for fish dependent communities, including small scale fishers, will lead to a sustainable fish trade that improves incomes, stimulate economic growth and provide a pathway out of poverty for many fish dependent communities across Africa.
The ultimate beneficiaries of the project are fishermen, aquaculture producers, fisher folks engaged in fish processing and fish trading enterprises. About 50 percent are women who often depend exclusively on post-harvest activities as their source of income and economic empowerment. Other beneficiaries include the 400 million rural and urban African households whose food and nutritional security increasingly depends on low value fish.
The capacity in the line ministry will be strengthened for effective fisheries management. The project is of great benefit to AU member states in not only securing current benefits but also increasing benefits from improved trade governance of their aquatic resources. These benefits mainly relate to increased revenue, fish supplies, food security and social welfare.
The regional institutions, i.e. RECs and RFBs, would also gain immensely from this project since it will strengthen their institutional mandates in regional fish trade that would be fostered by regional collaboration and building or establishing the necessary institutional linkages or frameworks consistent with the 2011 Executive Council Decision (EX.CL/627 (XVIII) of AUC on ensuring that arrangements for regional cooperation on fisheries management frameworks are developed and included as part of the Minimum Regional Integration Plan by RECs.
Outcomes/Objectives
To achieve the overall goal, the programme will deliver the following specific results and activities
Result 1: Information on the structure, products and value of intra-regional fish trade in food security in Sub Saharan Africa generated and made available to stakeholders.
This result area aim at generating information on the routes, dynamics, trends, and magnitude of the intra-regional trade on fish and fishery products (including both inland and marine products) in sub-Saharan Africa and its social and economic dimensions and make it available to relevant stakeholders for informed decision making.
- Activity 1.1 Fish Trade Routes Analysis and Assessment
- Activity 1.2 Dissemination of Case Study Results
Result 2: A set of recommendations on policies, certification procedures, standards and regulations, well embedded in national and regional fisheries, agricultural, trade and food security policy frameworks in sub-Saharan Africa.
Building on the outputs from result 1, a set of recommendations on selected policies, standards and regulations will be produced to promote intra-regional fish trade, closely targeted at key barriers to trade in the region.
- Activity 2.1 Identifying and Prioritising Policy and Regulatory Options for Promoting Intra-Regional Fish Trade in sub-Saharan Africa
- Activity 2.2 Formulating regional policies, fish certification procedures, standards and regulations in selected areas that are critical for promoting intra-regional fish trade
- Activity 2.3 Developing Approaches for Implementation and Monitoring of these Policies, Standards and Regulations Recommendations
- Activity 2.4 High Level Intra-Regional Fish Trade Policy Dialogues to Inform Pan-African and Sub-Regional Discourse
Result 3: Increased capacities for trade amongst private sector associations, in particular of women fish processors and traders and aquaculture producers, to make better use of expanding trade opportunities through competitive small and medium scale enterprises.
The delivery of this result aims at strengthening the capacity of private sector associations, in particular women fish processors and traders, to make better use of the improving trade policy environment.
- Activity 3.1 Developing a geo-coded, interactive database of existing formal and informal private sector associations engaged in fish processing and trade, and assessment of their capacities, economic performance and needs
- Activity 3.2 Capacity building, Networking and Institutional Strengthening of private sector associations through the development of guidelines and good practices for continent-wide dissemination
- Activity 3.2 Establishing user-owned information and advocacy tools and mechanisms, including, where appropriate, links to regional private sector agricultural associations and agricultural information systems in order to provide an improved framework for continued demand-based policy development
Result 4: Adoption and implementation of appropriate policies, certification procedures, standards and regulations by key stakeholders participating in intra-regional trade in four selected trade corridors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Building on the outputs from result 1, 2, and 3, the action will facilitate the implementation of policy recommendations, standards, procedures and regulations (designed to strengthen intra-regional trade) in the four selected trade corridors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Activity 4.1 Catalysing and Facilitating Increased Fish Trade in the Four Corridors
- Activity 4.2 Strengthening the Capacity of Veterinary Services to Implement Regional Guidelines and National Policies
- Activity 4.3 Monitoring and Documentation of the Performance of Fish Trade in the Corridors, and Share Lessons Learnt
The project focuses on four main trade corridors in Western, Southern, Eastern and Central Africa. The trade corridors are transport links targeted for spatial development by the African Union according to existing knowledge of volumes of traded fish and where trade flows are being monitored.
The overall objective of the Fish Trade project is to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by enhancing the capacities of regional and pan-African organizations to support their member states (MS) to better integrate intra-regional fish trade into their development and food security policy agendas.
Implementing Partners
Stakeholders
Member States of the African Union (AU-MS)
The ministries or departments responsible for fisheries in sub-Saharan Africa will be the major stake holders of the project.
Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
The RECs are institutions of the African Union and have experiences with AU-IBAR on livestock and fisheries issues. Their regional mandate would be utilized to enhance ownership of project activities and even it continuity beyond the project lifespan. Their role would be particularly useful in setting up regional policies and regulations that would trigger regional integration and free movement of goods and services through adopting concept such as One Stop Border Post (OSBP) of COMESA, etc.
Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs)
The RFBs have mandates for fisheries management within their geographical areas of competence. These bodies are constituted by member states with established protocols and working relationships. They provide the links with the fisheries management institutions of the AU member states and, by virtue of this, have extensive documentation and experiences on the fisheries of the member states. These institutions would therefore be very strategic to the project in promoting ownership of activities and outcomes. The RFBs currently collaborate with AU-IBAR on fisheries management issues and have participated in AU-IBAR organized events. Examples include Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO), etc.
Standards Setting Organizations and Certification Body
The project works with Standards setting organizations like African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), the National Bureau of Standards and Ministries’ department in charge of quality assurance and control to promote the development and adoption of practices that insure fisheries product quality and safety. The expertise of certification bodies (African Eco-labeling Mechanism (AEM), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), etc.) will be of paramount importance for the promotion of sustainable production and consumption systems.
Fish Processors and Traders’ Associations, including individuals
Fish Processors and Traders’ Associations, including individuals will mobilize their members from the different member states for effective participation in the activities of the project. The will be given opportunity to support the action by participating in the planning, fine-tuning of activities and development of specific annual plans of action and assume ownership of action as key stakeholders.They will be supported, through the project, to broaden the participation of their members and this will enhance the opportunity for articulation of the issues affecting them within regional decision-making forums.
Role and Participation in the Action of Various Actors and Stakeholders
The main actors in this project are WorldFish, the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). WorldFish will coordinate and manage the overall implementation of the action to ensure effective delivery of outputs. The NPCA and AU-IBAR will provide support to the overall coordination and management of the action. In addition to coordination and management roles, WorldFish, NPCA and AU-IBAR will deliver specific activities under this action in line with their competencies, scope of work and mandates. AU-IBAR and NPCA will also facilitate and coordinate the participation and contribution of RECs in this action. RECs will be intensively involved in the implementation of the proposed action, within the framework of their mandate to promote intra-regional trade and providing an enabling environment to make this happen, especially within the fisheries sector. COMESA, ECOWAS, SADC, EAC and ECCAS will be directly involved in the implementation of activities.
In addition to the direct involvement in implementation, the RECs will also play a role in the monitoring and evaluation of the action, as well as communication and sharing of experiences.
Technical institutions such as FAO, OIE and CODEX committees will provide specialized technical backstopping support to the key partners, while consultants will provide specialized technical skills where necessary. Fish processors, traders’ associations and individual traders will facilitate the implementation of the activities on the ground.
Results and Activities
The trade in fish and fish products among African countries is becoming increasingly important for the region’s food security and economic development. Africa’s regional economic communities (RECs) and the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency have therefore prioritized the strengthening of regional trade and have identified fish and fish products as key commodities for investment and policy support. Despite the potential of intra-regional fish trade in addressing the region’s food and nutrition insecurity, as well as poverty reduction through wealth creation, this type of trade is often overlooked and neglected in national and regional policy. Hence, the implementation of this project will enhance the capacities of Africa Union regional and pan-African organizations to support their member states (MS) to better integrate intra-regional fish trade into their development and food security policy agendas.
The primary entry points at the member state levels are the ministries or departments responsible for fisheries and aquaculture, national research and academic institutions and the private sector, and relevant institutions having a stake in fish trade, etc. Based on the common recognition that partnerships and alliances between the public, private and civil society are critical factors for success and sustainability in development, the project implementation strategy at member states level and at regional level, will entail enhancing the role of public and private sector in decision making with regard to promoting intra-African trade in safe fish through provision of appropriate background information.
To ensure strategic and cost-effective implementation of project activities, the project will ensure close partnership with partners within the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM) including RECs who are in charge of the regional integration agenda of the African Union and RFB/RFMOs who are the primary organizational mechanism through which states work together to ensure the long-term sustainability of shared fishery resources in order to minimize duplication and promote strategic use of available resources.
Expected Results and Activities
To achieve the overall goal, the programme will deliver the following specific results and activities
Result 1: Information on the structure, products and value of intra-regional fish trade in food security in Sub Saharan Africa generated and made available to stakeholders.
This result area aim at generating information on the routes, dynamics, trends, and magnitude of the intra-regional trade on fish and fishery products (including both inland and marine products) in sub-Saharan Africa and its social and economic dimensions and make it available to relevant stakeholders for informed decision making.
- Activity 1.1 Fish Trade Routes Analysis and Assessment
- Activity 1.2 Dissemination of Case Study Results
Result 2: A set of recommendations on policies, certification procedures, standards and regulations, well embedded in national and regional fisheries, agricultural, trade and food security policy frameworks in sub-Saharan Africa.
Building on the outputs from result 1, a set of recommendations on selected policies, standards and regulations will be produced to promote intra-regional fish trade, closely targeted at key barriers to trade in the region.
- Activity 2.1 Identifying and Prioritising Policy and Regulatory Options for Promoting Intra-Regional Fish Trade in sub-Saharan Africa
- Activity 2.2 Formulating regional policies, fish certification procedures, standards and regulations in selected areas that are critical for promoting intra-regional fish trade
- Activity 2.3 Developing Approaches for Implementation and Monitoring of these Policies, Standards and Regulations Recommendations
- Activity 2.4 High Level Intra-Regional Fish Trade Policy Dialogues to Inform Pan-African and Sub-Regional Discourse
Result 3: Increased capacities for trade amongst private sector associations, in particular of women fish processors and traders and aquaculture producers, to make better use of expanding trade opportunities through competitive small and medium scale enterprises.
The delivery of this result aims at strengthening the capacity of private sector associations, in particular women fish processors and traders, to make better use of the improving trade policy environment.
- Activity 3.1 Developing a geo-coded, interactive database of existing formal and informal private sector associations engaged in fish processing and trade, and assessment of their capacities, economic performance and needs
- Activity 3.2 Capacity building, Networking and Institutional Strengthening of private sector associations through the development of guidelines and good practices for continent-wide dissemination
- Activity 3.2 Establishing user-owned information and advocacy tools and mechanisms, including, where appropriate, links to regional private sector agricultural associations and agricultural information systems in order to provide an improved framework for continued demand-based policy development
Result 4: Adoption and implementation of appropriate policies, certification procedures, standards and regulations by key stakeholders participating in intra-regional trade in four selected trade corridors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Building on the outputs from result 1, 2, and 3, the action will facilitate the implementation of policy recommendations, standards, procedures and regulations (designed to strengthen intra-regional trade) in the four selected trade corridors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Activity 4.1 Catalysing and Facilitating Increased Fish Trade in the Four Corridors
- Activity 4.2 Strengthening the Capacity of Veterinary Services to Implement Regional Guidelines and National Policies
- Activity 4.3 Monitoring and Documentation of the Performance of Fish Trade in the Corridors, and Share Lessons Learnt
The project focuses on four main trade corridors in Western, Southern, Eastern and Central Africa. The trade corridors are transport links targeted for spatial development by the African Union according to existing knowledge of volumes of traded fish and where trade flows are being monitored.
Context/Lessons Learnt
Communication and Dissemination Methods
A comprehensive communication and visibility plan has been developed and outlines the following:
- Target audiences and the communication objectives per target group
- Communication/visibility activities that will be undertaken
- Responsibilities for the execution of the activities
- Communication tools that will be applied
- Indicators to measure the communication impact
- Human and financial resources required for the execution of the plan.
Building on Previous Action
The project complements and builds on a number of ongoing and planned projects such as: The DFID-funded, NEPAD Agency implemented International Partnership for African Fisheries through the Governance and Trade Working Groups whose action plans focus on knowledge exchange, skills and experience; and regional and national fisheries governance systems reforms to enable wealth generation. The results from the proposed action will directly feed into the action plans of these two working groups, especially the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism and the proposed action will also be informed and guided by the processes from these two groups. The proposed will directly contribute to the advancement of AU-NEPAD Action Plan for the Development of African Fisheries and Aquaculture; one whose objectives among many is to enhance of fish trade in domestic, regional and international markets.
Resources
Other Notes
Gender
Women play major roles in post-harvest activities while youths contribute significantly to fishing activities. Appropriate policies are needed to empower women fish processors and traders and also promote their inclusion in decision-making processes. The Fish Trade project would strengthen the role of women fish processor and traders through capacity development and empowerment. Existing women organizations dedicated to improving the welfare of women in fisheries and fish trade development (e.g. EAIFFPA, RAFEP, etc.) will be supported for enhanced roles in aquaculture, fish marketing and trade, and for effective participation in fisheries management and decision-making processes. Their role in awareness campaigns for HIV/AIDs in fishing communities would be enhanced.
The youth are crucial in fisheries value chain as fisher, farmers or fish processors and traders. Their effective functions should be enhanced by youth empowerment programs, access to facilities and resources, training programs and by promoting their effective participation in decision-making processes.
These vulnerable groups would benefit immensely from the project outcomes and impacts. The capacity of the youth in supplementary activities like boat-building and marine engineering would be strengthened. Alternative livelihood strategies such as crop and animal husbandry would be facilitated.
Nutrition
The project will contribute immensely to addressing the dietary protein and micro-nutrients (nutrition) requirements of the citizens of the continent, especially the rural and riparian communities. The intervention would result in increased availability of fish supplies and affordability.
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
In view of the rising threat of climate change to communities depending on fish for their livelihoods, strategies will be developed to minimize climate change effects/impacts and promote effective responses and adaptation mechanisms. The project will promote the integration of sustainability in production as incentive for increased access to market.
Good Governance and Human Rights
The support for institutional change will be based on the good governance principles of participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability, and will inspire the development of the policies and strategies envisaged. This approach should have an important leverage effect on promoting and expanding good governance to other sectors.
![[© 2017 AU-IBAR. Think Tank Meeting on Intra-Regional Fish Trade in Africa, 2nd – 4th August 2017, Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria.] © 2017 AU-IBAR. Think Tank Meeting on Intra-Regional Fish Trade in Africa, 2nd – 4th August 2017, Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria.](/sites/default/files/2020-09/101.jpg)