UN calls for urgent expansion of fish farming across Africa

The United Nations has renewed calls for a rapid expansion of fish farming across Africa, warning that the continent risks worsening food insecurity unless aquaculture production is significantly scaled up to meet rising demand.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialised UN agency focused on global food systems, says aquaculture is now one of the fastest-growing food sectors worldwide, yet Africa continues to lag behind other regions in both investment and output.

According to the FAO, fish farming already plays a critical role in global food supply, but in many African countries, wild catch fisheries still dominate consumption patterns. This leaves supply vulnerable to overfishing, climate change impacts, and declining fish stocks in natural water bodies.

The organisation notes that Africa’s rapidly growing population will place additional pressure on food systems in the coming decades, with fish expected to remain a key source of affordable animal protein for millions of households. It warns that without urgent investment in aquaculture infrastructure, feed production, hatcheries and technical skills, the region may struggle to bridge the widening gap between supply and demand.

Experts also highlight that expanding fish farming could deliver wider economic benefits, including job creation for rural communities, increased export opportunities, and improved nutrition outcomes, particularly in coastal and inland fishing communities.

However, the FAO stresses that growth must be supported by stronger regulation, environmental safeguards and access to finance for smallholder farmers to ensure the sector develops sustainably rather than becoming concentrated in the hands of a few large operators.

Across the continent, some countries have already begun scaling up aquaculture initiatives, but the UN maintains that progress remains uneven and insufficient relative to need.