The third Aquaculture Africa Conference (AFRAQ24) took place on 19-22 November 2024 at the majestic Medina Mediterranean Congress Centre in the coastal city of Hammamet, Tunisia. Themed “Blue Farming: New Horizons for Economic Growth”, the event underscored how partnerships in science, education and technological advancement can help drive innovations in Africa’s blue economy agenda. There was something for everyone at AFRAQ24, as the event catered to the broad range of interests in aquaculture – providing a learning, information-sharing and networking opportunity for aquaculture professionals, entrepreneurs, scientists, technical specialists, students, policymakers and development partners.
Hosted by the government of Tunisia, AFRAQ24 attracted nearly 1300 attendees from industry, academia, government, development partner delegates, spanning from 74 countries around the world, but mostly from Africa. The event was a unique opportunity for attendees to celebrate achievements, to learn, share ideas and create new partnerships that will shape the future of aquaculture in Africa.
The event coincided with the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS-AC)’s fifth-year anniversary celebrations. The Chapter was formally established in November 2018 and has now successfully hosted three AFRAQ events; in Alexandria, Egypt (2022) and Lusaka, Zambia (2023), Hammamet, Tunisia (2024) demonstrating its ability to organise large premium events that bring global aquaculture actors together for a common vision.
The guest of honour was the Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries: Honourable Ezzedine Ben Chiekh. Other senior state dignitaries from Tunisia, Zambia, Algeria and Angola as well as high-level and specialist guests including from the African Union (AU), FAO, EU, World Bank and others also featured at the conference. The global WAS President, Dr David Cline and African Chapter President, Ms Foluke Areola also attended.
The conference’s scientific and technical programme was packed with sessions balancing global and African perspectives. Presentations by renowned experts from development organisations, private sector and academia stimulated debates on strategies and innovations that will shape the future of aquaculture. Overall, the programme featured 41 sessions, 277 abstracts, 46 posters and 4 training workshops.
The presence of a number of developmental organisations who featured at previous AFRAQs was encouraging. These include African Union Agencies (AUDA-NEPAD and AU-IBAR), FAO, World Bank, WorldFish, the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health Program (WISHH), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and others. New feature organisations were the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
Over 100 industry players and professionals from Tunisia, Africa and globally featured at AFRAQ24. Some of the major industry players visible include Nutrifish (AFRAQ24 Gold Sponsor), Aller Aqua and several other aquafeeds, fish producer, equipment supplies and consulting companies. Large scale aquafeeds companies are always credited for bringing their large network of aquaculture farmers from various countries.
As with all WAS global events, the technical and scientific programme was complemented by a major international trade show which featured 55 exhibition booths from 22 countries This comprised a Tunisia exhibition pavilion which showcased the country’s aquaculture industry and some support projects. Several renowned aquaculture companies in Tunisia and the Mediterranean region featured within the pavilion.
On the sidelines of AFRAQ24, the WAS-AC Executive Board of Directors had the opportunity to convene the Chapter’s 4th Annual Board Meeting 2024, where decisions on the way forward for the Chapter were made. WAS-AC also organised the Africa Student Programme Sessions to the benefit of over 80 students who physically participated. The second annual session of the WAS Platform for Portuguese speaking countries (PALOPs) also took place.
The African Union agencies and FAO were strategic sponsors to the event. The WAS African Chapter expresses its profound gratitude to the conference organising committees, various session sponsors, exhibitors, collaborators, media partners, attendees at large, and everyone who contributed to make the event a success. The Conference full programme and other information are available on the AFRAQ24 website https://www.was.org/meeting/code/AFRAQ24.
The next WAS African conference is scheduled for Entebbe, Uganda on 24-27 June 2025. This is followed by AFRAQ26 slated for Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania around early December 2026 and then World Aquaculture 2027 scheduled for late November 2027 in Accra, Ghana. Details will soon be available on the WAS website www.was.org.
