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The inaugural Sectoral Committee of Ministers for Fisheries and Aquaculture convened on 23 October 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of the framework of the Revised African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM). This high-level ministerial meeting marked a significant milestone in ensuring that Africa’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors have a structured, evidence-based reporting and coordination mechanism within the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, and Environment (STC-ARDWE).
The establishment of the Sectoral Committee followed years of institutional groundwork within the African Union’s policy architecture. The decision to institutionalize fisheries and aquaculture governance was endorsed through Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.1074 (XXXVI) of 2020, building on earlier Conference of African Ministers in Fisheries and Aquaculture (CAMFA) held in Banjul, The Gambia (2010), and Addis Ababa (2014). These conferences produced the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), a blueprint for sustainable development, and established the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism as a platform for policy coherence, coordination, and technical dialogue.
The meeting brought together Ministers and Directors of Fisheries and Aquaculture from ten African Union Member States, representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC) and African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). The inaugural session aimed to operationalize the Sectoral Committee as a functional policy organ that consolidates technical recommendations from working groups and submits them to the STC-ARDWE for ministerial endorsement and subsequent transmission to the Executive Council and AU Summit.
Opening the session, on behalf of the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), Director of AU IBAR Dr Huyam Salih emphasized the increasing recognition of fisheries and aquaculture as drivers of food security, job creation, and climate resilience in Africa. He noted that the establishment of this ministerial structure reflects the AU’s commitment to embedding fisheries and aquaculture governance within the broader continental agricultural agenda under the Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) and Agenda 2063. The Commissioner underscored that Africa’s fisheries sector generates approximately USD 24 billion annually, sustains over 17 million livelihoods, and plays a critical role in addressing malnutrition and fostering inclusive economic growth. The Commissioner reiterated AU-IBAR’s leadership role as the Secretariat of the AFRM and its mandate to coordinate evidence-based policy reforms. AU-IBAR, therefore, has facilitated the operationalization of the PFRS, supported the establishment of the African Fisheries and Aquaculture Database (AFAData), and developed continental strategies addressing nature-based solutions for aquatic ecosystems.
The meeting reviewed a comprehensive Technical Expert Report detailing the implementation progress of the PFRS, validated Terms of Reference of the SCFA, the achievements of the EU-funded Fisheries Governance II (FishGov II) project, and the Swedish-funded Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation project. These initiatives have operationalized six African Centres of Excellence in training and research, supported national policy harmonization in over 15 Member States and COMESA, and developed regional capacity on fisheries governance and trade facilitation. The report also outlined the strategic priorities of the AU-IBAR Strategic Plan (2024–2028), whose five pillar, governance and policy coherence, resilient production systems, One Health principles, trade facilitation, and institutional strengthening, are aligned with continental frameworks including the PFRS, the Africa Blue Economy Strategy (ABES), and the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDeSA).
Ministers welcomed these updates and engaged in substantive discussions on how the Sectoral Committee can better support Member States in implementing national fisheries policies and translating AU decisions into practical interventions. Several delegations stressed the importance of the timely dissemination of technical documents prior to ministerial sessions to enable adequate national consultations and informed decision-making. Others called for enhanced resource mobilization mechanisms, including engagement with the development banks and private sector partners, to ensure long-term sustainability of the AFRM and related continental programs.
A recurring theme throughout the deliberations was the need to accelerate aquaculture development as a strategic response to declining fish stocks and growing demand driven by population growth and urbanization. Ministers emphasized that aquaculture could serve as a vital source of protein, employment, and export earnings, particularly for landlocked countries and communities facing limited access to marine fisheries. They called for investment in feed systems, hatchery infrastructure, value-addition chains, and climate-smart aquaculture technologies. The meeting also underscored the importance of integrating cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, climate adaptation, and the One Health approach into fisheries and aquaculture programming.
Ministers further discussed the critical role of the AFRM in amplifying the African voice in global fisheries negotiations. They emphasized that a unified continental position, informed by robust data and evidence from the African Fisheries and Aquaculture Database, would strengthen Africa’s negotiating capacity and ensure that international commitments reflect the continent’s unique socio-economic and ecological contexts.
The Sectoral Committee endorsed several strategic recommendations, including the establishment of designated national focal points for improved communication between AU-IBAR, Member States, and RECs; the acceleration of aquaculture subsector development through targeted investment and capacity building; the mainstreaming of gender, climate change, and One Health principles into all fisheries and aquaculture policies; and the institutionalization of biennial reporting cycles to ensure continuity and accountability in implementing AU decisions.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Technical Experts’ Report of the Inaugural Sectoral Committee Meeting. Ministers commended AU-IBAR, AUDA-NEPAD, the European Union, SIDA, the World Bank, and other partners for their leadership and financial support in advancing continental fisheries and aquaculture governance. They reaffirmed their collective commitment to transforming the sector into a cornerstone of Africa’s food security, blue economy growth, and sustainable development agenda.
By establishing a direct and functional reporting pipeline between the AFRM and the STC-ARDWE, this inaugural meeting laid the institutional groundwork for evidence-based policy coherence, stronger inter-governmental collaboration, and accelerated implementation of continental strategies. It represents a defining moment in Africa’s journey toward inclusive, sustainable, and resilient fisheries and aquaculture systems that contribute meaningfully to the realization of Agenda 2063 and the Kampala CAADP Agenda.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).