Burkina Faso moves to sustainably structure aquaculture sector for food security

In Ouagadougou, stakeholders from Burkina Faso’s aquaculture sector validated and unveiled a set of strategic documents on 8 June, designed to guide and sustainably steer the industry’s growth. The approved materials include a sector diagnosis, an investment roadmap, and a practical guide, all crafted to serve as a compass for both public policy and private investment in aquaculture.

This initiative is part of the Sahel RESILAND regional programme, which aims to strengthen the resilience of Sahelian landscapes and the communities that rely on them. The programme focuses on sustainable land and water resource management, restoration of fragile ecosystems, and diversification of rural economic activities, with the ultimate goal of creating jobs and improving living conditions.

At the heart of this framework, the knowledge pillar plays a decisive role. It seeks to inform public choices, structure future interventions, and promote solutions adapted to local realities. This is the context for the Africa Sustainable Aquaculture initiative, which covers several Sahel countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad. Its objective is to produce in-depth national assessments and define coherent investment paths for the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector.

The work conducted has provided an updated state of Burkina Faso’s aquaculture sector, highlighting both its potential and its structural constraints. It also led to the creation of an investment pathway that identifies strategic priorities, funding needs, and implementation mechanisms, as well as a guide to support public and private project leaders in their initiatives.

Presiding over the meeting, Issiaka Zouri, Chargé d’études at the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Animal and Fishery Resources, commended the involvement of the various actors who contributed to these outcomes. He stressed that this approach aligns with national ambitions for developing animal and fishery production, particularly under the Agropastoral and Fishery Offensive.

According to Zouri, Burkina Faso possesses significant assets, including considerable water resources and a still-underexploited fishery potential. In this light, effective implementation of the directions from this work should help further structure the sector, boost national fish production, enhance food and nutritional security, and open new economic opportunities for youth and women.