The East African country of Mozambique has taken several steps over the past decade to grow its fishing and aquaculture industries, and data has shown those moves have led to growth, with more expected on the way, according to a new report.
The report from the Malabo Montpellier Panel, a group of international agriculture experts who aim to guide policy changes that ensure food security and improved nutrition in Africa, said that government-driven seafood industry reforms in Mozambique have resulted in steady fish production growth.
Those reforms, per the report, include the government broadening its ministry of fisheries and renaming it to the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries. It also has created relevant governance structures such as provincial directorates and a National Fisheries Administration to regulate and oversee its fisheries sector, as well as the Oceanographic Institute of Mozambique to conduct scientific research in maritime, river, and lake environments to ensure sustainable fishing and fish farming.
Other institutional changes accounting for growth in Mozambique’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors include the creation of a Fish Inspectorate service, which regulates and controls the safety of seafood via the backing of five laboratories that carry out sensory, chemical, and microbiological analyses, according to the report.
The government also created a state-backed Blue Economy Development Fund, which works with the private sector and civil society in aligning the country’s fisheries and aquaculture sector’s financial needs to suit sustainable exploitation of inland waters, the sea, and coastlines, providing an economic boost to Mozambique’s seafood market.
Additionally, Mozambique revised and updated its fisheries law in 2020, paving the way for a comprehensive legal framework to address issues such as licensing, quotas, gear restrictions, and conservation measures.
These initiatives, among others, resulted in the country’s fish production growing by 12 percent to 460,000 metric tons in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the latest available data. Fisheries and aquaculture output also accounts for nearly 50 percent of the nation’s daily protein intake, playing an essential role in ensuring food security.
“Mozambique has undertaken significant efforts to strengthen its fisheries and aquaculture sector through a blend of institutional innovations to enhance sustainable resource management and support socioeconomic development,” the report said. “This coordinated effort by multiple stakeholders underscores Mozambique’s progress in achieving long-term food security, economic resilience, and ecosystem conservation, ensuring that fisheries and aquaculture contribute to sustainable development and improved livelihoods for all Mozambicans.”
Despite the positive momentum, Mozambique still faces several challenges that “threaten not only the sustainability of fish stocks but also the socioeconomic well-being of communities reliant on fisheries or fish farming,” the report said.
According to BioDev2030, Mozambique still loses between USD 36 million and USD 67 million (EUR 32 million and EUR 59 million) to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing each year.
To combat the issue, Mozambique has formulated a strategy for monitoring, controlling, and surveilling its waters as part of a broader plan to strengthen the country’s ability to fight IUU fishing, enhance regulatory compliance, and promote the sustainable use of marine resources.
Regardless, illegal fishing persists, and the government has also suffered from corruption in the past, including what some have called “the most egregious corruption offense of the [2010s]” in a tuna bond scandal that involved deals between state-owned companies in Mozambique and Lebanon and U.A.E.-based shipbuilding company Privinvest to develop the country’s seafood industry.
Nevertheless, Mozambique’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors are still set for growth, especially if ongoing aquaculture projects are completed successfully, such as a tilapia genetic enhancement project at the government-owned Aquaculture Research Center (CEPAQ) that aims to “improve the genetic quality of Mozambique tilapia and develop technologies for producing all-male fingerlings to boost commercial production.”
Aquaculture currently provides nearly 7,000 jobs in the [province of Sofala alone], which, together with the growth in fish production, contribute to regional economic development and increased market stability,” the report said. “These initiatives demonstrate that targeted efforts can drive inclusive growth, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the long-term viability of fisheries and aquaculture in Mozambique.”
