Japan provides aquaculture training to West Africa

Enhancing aquaculture on the African continent

Members of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) Working Group on Aquaculture (WGAq) recently participated in an intensive twenty-day biosecurity training program organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) in Japan.

This training enhanced participants’ understanding of critical policy and measures of aquaculture environmental health for the sustainable development of biosecurity measures essential for sustainable and safe fish farming practices.

The training included information relating to Japan’s legal framework as well as initiatives undertaken to prevent fish epidemics. The intense workshop also included on-site visits to various aquaculture facilities across Japan where they were provided with practical knowledge on fish disease and countermeasures.

All 13 participants gained practical insights into the risks posed to aquaculture product safety, environmental health, and fish health of national aquaculture development proceeds without stringent laws and regulations. By experiencing Japan’s approaches firsthand, the group strengthened their capacity to address biosecurity risks in their home countries.

In alignment with its commitment to supporting sustainable aquaculture development in the FCWC region, JICA emphasised the importance of prioritising the safety of aquaculture products and the surrounding environment.

Potential issues highlighted included the uncontrolled transboundary movement of broodstock and fry, the introduction of non-native species into new ecosystems, the traceability of farmed fish and the environmental and health impact of fishery pharmaceuticals used in fish farming. These challenges, if unaddressed, could lead to significant social and environmental problems that hinder the sector’s growth.

Given the cross-border nature of these biosecurity risks, JICA advocates for a coordinated subregional approach, encouraging the establishment of a harmonised regulatory framework. This framework would provide a set of standardised rules across the region, which each country could implement within their national administrations.

A vital outcome of the training was the development of technical recommendations that will be submitted for review at the 15th FCWC Conference of Ministers, scheduled for December this year in Liberia. These recommendations include a call for the establishment of national working groups, and will serve as a foundation for enhancing biosecurity protocols across FCWC member states.

An FCWC-JICA regional seminar has been planned as a follow-up to the training. This seminar will bring together regional stakeholders to discuss the outcomes and best practices identified during the training, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration towards sustainable aquaculture development in the FCWC region.

This training and the subsequent seminar underscore the FCWC and JICA’s commitment to fostering a safer, more sustainable aquaculture sector in West Africa, ensuring long-term food security, economic growth, and environmental protection.