Africa to host maiden aquaculture conference
Experts from different fish industries in Malawi and other African countries are due to host the first World Aquaculture Society (WAS) annual conference on the continent this week.
This follows news that while most countries in sub- Saharan Africa have vast inland waters and coastlines, home to a small but rapidly growing aquaculture sector, present a largely untapped opportunity to contribute to the nutrition and socio-economic development needs.
The conference seeks to highlight the potential of aquaculture production to support economic development and investment opportunities in Africa, according to a media statement.
The Society says aquaculture is increasingly important as an environmentally sustainable way to meet global demand for fisheries products, hence hosting it in Africa for the first time.
World Aquaculture 2017 will bring together some
3,000 industry, academic and government delegates from the 100 member countries of WAS in Cape Town, South Africa from June 26-30 2017, it says.
During the conference, Malawi and other African countries plan to launch the Africa Chapter, a move that will signal the coming of age of the continent’s aquaculture and a significant milestone for the global aquaculture community.
According to t h e Society, Malawi and other African countries will join the United States, Korea, Asia-Pacific and Latin- American-Caribbean as fully affiliated chapters of the Society.
The conference will balance global and African perspectives, the theme captured in key note addresses, ‘Feeding the Nine Billion: The Role of Aquaculture’ and ‘African Perspectives on Aquaculture’, setting the tone for the conference and highlighting the value of aquaculture in global food security.
South Africa is to host the conference under the theme ‘Sustainable Aquaculture —New Frontiers for Economic Growth— Spotlight on Africa’.
