On June 29,
Ivory Coast's Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources signed a memorandum of understanding in Cairo with Egypt's General Authority for Fish Resources Development (GAFRD).
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the agreement seeks to strengthen cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture and marine environmental protection, while placing particular emphasis on fish farming development and the fight against illegal fishing.
Egypt Leads Africa's Fisheries Production
For Abidjan, Egypt represents a natural partner because it has established itself as Africa's largest producer of fishery products.
In its latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report, published in June, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Egypt produced 2 million metric tons of fishery products in 2024. Aquaculture accounted for 83% of that output, supported by investments in intensive fish farms, genetic improvement programs, animal feed and processing infrastructure.
Moreover, Egypt has maintained strong aquaculture growth over the past decade. The FAO said the country's aquaculture production increased by 36%, rising from 1.17 million metric tons in 2015 to 1.6 million metric tons in 2024.
Several African countries now regard Egypt's experience as a model because aquaculture offers a more sustainable source of fish supply than capture fisheries.
Beyond institutional cooperation between Abidjan and Cairo, the partnership will cover technology transfer, applied research, professional training and the development of large-scale projects.
These initiatives could improve the productivity of Ivory Coast's fish farms, strengthen local technical capacity and increase domestic farmed fish production.
Abidjan Seeks to Reverse Declining Fish Production
The agreement comes as Ivory Coast seeks to increase domestic fish production and reduce its dependence on imported fish. Despite abundant inland waters and lagoon resources, the country's fisheries sector continues to supply only part of domestic demand, forcing the government to rely heavily on international markets. According to FAO data, Ivory Coast's fisheries and aquaculture sector has failed to regain its production peak of 113,637 metric tons, recorded in 2018. The FAO said the country's total fishery production fell to 87,228 metric tons in 2023, representing a 23.23% decline over five years.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) identified several long-standing obstacles that continue to constrain the sector in a 2024 analysis. Those challenges include high post-harvest losses, limited value-chain infrastructure, the adverse effects of climate change on fish stock replenishment, high levels of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and limited access to financing for fishers and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Against this backdrop, the government launched the Competitive Aquaculture and Sustainable Fisheries Value Chain Development Project (ProDeCAP) on March 26 with support from the FAO. The five-year program carries a budget of 28.95 million euros ($33.1 million).
The project aims to increase aquaculture production to 35,000 metric tons by 2031, more than four times its 2023 level. The government expects the program to strengthen aquaculture's contribution to the national fish supply, which still depends largely on capture fisheries.
