Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board (RAB) plans to increase the country's annual fish production from 4,000 tonnes to 80,620 tonnes by 2035 through a new 'National Aquaculture Strategy for Rwanda 2023-2035.' The strategy, which is in its final stages, aims to produce over 106,000 tonnes of fish in Rwanda by 2035, with around 80,620 tonnes from aquaculture and an estimated 26,000 tonnes from wild fisheries. ALSO READ: Farmers welcome new fish farming insurance scheme This initiative is in line with the country's Vision 2050 of shifting from subsistence to commercial agriculture. The Deputy Director General in charge of Animal Resources Research and Technology Transfer at RAB, Solange Uwituze, says the country now produces 45,000 tonnes of fish per year, which the government is seeking to raise. “Fish industry is one of the sectors which the government is investing in for Rwandans to eat healthy and make the sector commercial. So, we are setting new strategies on how to increase fish farming by twenty times in 2035 along with our stakeholders,” she told The New Times. Rwanda has a total water surface area of 10%, but fish farming only produces less than 2% of the total fish production. The government is investing in the fish industry to help Rwandans eat healthier and make the sector more commercial. The National Aquaculture Strategy for Rwanda aims to minimize risks, attract investment, access finance, and exploit opportunities. While fish farmers welcome the government's move, they recommend addressing the critical challenges currently hindering fish production, including high prices for fish feeds, to ensure the industry's success.
