African societies are steadily increasing their fish consumption, an activity that is good for health. However, to meet growing demand, fishing and fish farming must increase by as much as 74 percent by 2050. Industry experts are considering how to reconcile civilization’s development with the sustainability of fishing and aquaculture. The 15th meeting of the Malabo Montpellier Forum, an African platform for supporting innovation in the agri-food sector, was held in late January 2025. During it, a new report titled Fish Friends: policy innovations for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Africa was presented. The document analyzes trends in fish consumption and production, while formulating proposals for interventions to help confront the growing pressures of civilization. The conclusions and suggestions were developed based on the experiences of four African countries: Ghana, Malawi, Morocco and Mozambique.

The report focuses not only on meeting domestic demand, but also on Africa’s export potential – profits from exports of fish and fish products increased from $2.7 billion to $8 billion between 2000 and 2022. According to the authors, individual countries can effectively reduce the growing food deficit while supporting economic development on the continent. The key to success is expected to be innovation at the institutional and strategic levels.