The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MFL), in partnership with the Agricultural Consultative Forum (ACF), organized a one-day Fisheries and Aquaculture Conference at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) whose theme was “Reinvigorating the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector in Zambia, through the Value Chain Approach”. The Conference was held on 15 September, 2022 and was the first of its kind in Zambia and is planned to be held annually. The conference was aimed at setting an agenda for regular policy dialogues to amplify the contribution of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector to economic development. The specific objectives of the Conference were: i). To provide a platform for all value chain players (scientists, fish farmers, processors, input suppliers, policy makers, etc.) in the fisheries and aquaculture industry to speak with one voice, exchange and share practical experiences and results, for the growth and development of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector in Zambia. ii). To create synergies within the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector and contribute to the policy direction and aspirations of the new dawn government, regarding fisheries and aquaculture development in Zambia.
The expected outcomes of the conference were;
i. Shared understanding and appreciation of the existing gaps and challenges plaguing the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector.
ii. Galvanized consensus and proactive efforts aimed at addressing the challenges by both state and non-state actors.
iii. Formalized and regularized stakeholder (State and Non-state) policy engagements for providing an enabling environment for fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector growth and development.
The following were the expected outputs;
i. Identification and synthesis of key issues and challenges that are hindering the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector.
ii. Identification of key priority areas and/or topics for future discussions in the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector.
iii. Creation of (specialized) sub-committees to deal with the identified and prioritized issues/challenges/topics in the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector.
iv. A roadmap for Zambia’s Fisheries and Aquaculture sub-sector transformation. v. Consensus on the establishment of a regular and formal discussion platform for all the fisheries and aquaculture value chain stakeholders, on various issues affecting the development of the sub-sector.