Use of Genetically Improved and Alien Species for Aquaculture and Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity in Africa

Abstract

Starting from a small base, aquaculture production in Africa registered annual growth rates equal to or above those in other regions. This expansion was due to signifi cant increases in a few African countries. Increasing demand coupled with rapidly dwindling catches from capture fi sheries, the implementation of novel participatory approaches to technology development and transfer, and the emergence of a few successful large-scale tilapia culture operations directed at the export market offer opportunities for further expansion in both the small-scale and large-scale commercial sectors. Existing biotechnical, economic and institutional challenges, which include lack of national policies to guide aquaculture development, unfriendly investment policies, the absence of linkages between farmers, research/technology development and extension, and unfavorable investment climates, are currently being addressed in a number of African countries. Long-term economic sustainability of African aquaculture will depend on the development and implementation of national policies that ensure the social and environmental sustainability of the industry.