SENEGAL – The Senegalese government is setting up an aquaculture center in the Kolda region, which will have an annual production capacity of 4,000 tons of fish, as reported by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) on October 30.
Fishing plays a crucial role in supplying nearly all the fish consumed locally.
To alleviate the pressure on marine resources, the government is working to enhance the role of aquaculture in the country’s fishing sector.
This initiative forms part of the Senegal Natural Resources Management Project (SENRM), which is funded by the World Bank with a budget of US$100M for the period from 2022 to 2028.
Pape Nansa Kéita, who oversees the fisheries component of the project management unit, indicated that the new aquaculture hub will feature advanced infrastructure aimed at developing the fish farming value chain in the region.
While the total investment amount has not been disclosed, it is known that Kolda was allocated 4.1 billion CFA francs (approximately US$6.8 million) in June as part of the SENRM initiative.
This effort is intended to enhance the country’s fishing industry.
In 2021, Senegal reported a total aquaculture production of 1,151 tons from six species, with an effective number of species diversity (ENS) of 3.6.
The majority of this production, more than 50%, came from tilapia, followed by oysters at 25.21% and mussels at 16.51%.
In 2022, Senegal’s aquaculture production increased to 1,585 metric tons.
Meanwhile, the fish production figures for 2023 reached approximately 1,160 metric tons, with projections estimating an increase to 1,220 metric tons by 2028.
From 2014 to 2020, Senegal averaged an annual catch of 278,000 tons of small pelagic fish.
However, the country’s fisheries face significant challenges, including overfishing, pollution, and the impacts of climate change, all of which are contributing to the strain on this vital sector.
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