Driving Sustainable Fisheries in Africa through Knowledge

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Knowledge products play a pivotal role in advancing fisheries governance and implementing the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS). They bridge the gap between research, policy dialogue, and decision-making, ensuring that science-based evidence informs strategies for sustainable management of the continent’s fisheries and aquaculture resources. Within this context, the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM) serves as a continental coordination and knowledge-sharing platform, strengthened under FishGov1 and FishGov2, to align policies and support the livelihoods of over 200 million Africans dependent on the sector.

It was against this backdrop that the 3rd Meeting of the Revised African Fisheries Reform Mechanism Think Tank Executive Committee (TTEC), took place from 11 to 13 August 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya, with funding from the European Union. The meeting aimed to review and enrich fifteen draft knowledge products, translating technical evidence into actionable policies for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
 

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Representing AU-IBAR’s Director, Dr. Huyam Salih, Mrs. Hellen Guebama (Left in the above photo) traced the evolution of AFRM as a driver of policy coherence, stakeholder collaboration, and evidence-based governance. She stressed the importance of ensuring that research outputs are transformed into practical, context-specific policy options that AFRM’s advisory council and AU policy organs can champion at the highest levels, noting:

“More importantly, it’s crucial to make sure that the results of research and debate don’t just stay on paper. They must be transformed into actionable, context-specific policy options—options that the AFRM advisory council and AU policy organs can champion at the highest levels.”

Mr. Benson Macharia, Deputy Director of Blue Economy and Fisheries (Right in above photo), speaking on behalf of the Director of Fisheries in Kenya, underscored the centrality of fisheries to both food security and economic growth. He emphasized the need for harmonised regulations across regions to avoid policy contradictions that undermine sustainability, citing the example of market enforcement against undersized fish in one country inadvertently prompting overexploitation in neighbouring waters. He also called for standardised data collection, inclusive engagement of youth and women, and thematic working groups—covering governance, aquaculture, trade, and sustainable resource management—as key vehicles for policy innovation.

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Over the three days, AFRM working groups presented their draft knowledge products. These included:

•    Policy, Institutions, and Governance Working Group: SWOT analyses, advocacy notes on institutionalising the Africa Fisheries and Aquaculture Database (AFAData), and policy briefs on strengthening organisational structures and governance.
•    Aquaculture Working Group: SWOT analysis of African aquaculture, the Public–Private Partnership approach for aquafeed production, and measures to improve biosecurity and biosafety.
•    Fish Trade Working Group: Strategies to enhance intra-African fish trade and enterprise development.
•    Small-Scale Fisheries Working Group: Measures to improve sustainability, socio-economic resilience, and market access for small-scale fishers.

A presentation by Ms. Patricia Lumba on advancing the usability of knowledge products highlighted the need for a standard template and crafting products aligned to audience personas to enhance consistency, clarity, and accessibility.

General recommendations from the meeting included rapid dissemination of final products, compiling them into a consolidated publication, creating a strong visibility and communication plan, and securing higher-level political engagement to integrate these products into national and regional decision-making.
Participants included representatives from AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities, AU Centres of Excellence, development partners, Regional Fisheries Bodies, non-state actors, and independent experts. 

The TTEC meeting will be followed by the 3rd AFRM Advisory Council Meeting (14–15 August 2025) to review and approve the knowledge products, marking the culmination of months of collaborative work aimed at delivering concrete, evidence-based policy solutions for Africa’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Access Knowledge Products  on Fisheries and Aquaculture Governance: http://repository.au-ibar.org/handle/123456789/1551