Eswatini targets higher local fish production through aquaculture development

Eswatini is stepping up efforts to reduce its de­pendence on imported fish through expanded aquacul­ture production, with the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and the Ministry of Agriculture promoting improved fish-farming technolo­gies, including cage culture.

The initiative was highlighted during a three-day National Con­sultative Workshop on Enhanc­ing Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecosystems under the Blue Economy Strategy, which opened on October 13, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn. Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Afri­can Union (AU), the workshop brought together stakeholders to discuss the future of fisheries and aquaculture.

The ministry acknowledged TTM’s long-standing technical assistance, particularly its support to the Aquaculture Centre through fish breeding, fingerling produc­tion and improved farming tech­niques. The centre is expanding production to include tilapia, carp and African catfish, which will be made available to local farmers to strengthen domestic supply.

REDUCING DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTED FISH

During the workshop, Acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nhlanhla Motsa, highlighted the country’s reliance on imported fish products, noting that approximately 90 per cent of fish consumed in Eswatini is imported.

To address this dependence, TTM and the ministry are promot­ing cage culture to expand pro­duction in suitable water bodies and support the development of commercial aquaculture.

Through technical guidance and practical demonstrations, farmers are being equipped with skills to adopt improved produc­tion methods and meet growing domestic demand. Expanding aquaculture could also create op­portunities for agricultural diver­sification, commercial enterprise development and job creation.

AFRICAN UNION DELEGATION VISITS AQUACULTURE CENTRE AND COMMERCIAL FISH FARM

On October 15, 2025 four rep­resentatives of the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), based in Nairobi, Kenya, visited the Aq­uaculture Centre to learn about ongoing efforts to strengthen Eswatini’s fish-farming industry.

The delegation also visited Um­bane Limited, a commercial cage farm in Malkerns, where they ob­served how TTM is supporting the transition from subsistence fish farming to commercial production.

At the Aquaculture Centre, the visitors learnt about initiatives to reduce the high cost of com­mercial fish feed through locally sourced ingredients. Lower pro­duction costs could make fish farming more affordable and encourage greater participation by local farmers.

They also observed water-qual­ity monitoring instruments de­signed to transmit real-time data directly to farmers’ devices, en­abling timely interventions to maintain suitable conditions for fish growth and survival.

The visits demonstrated prac­tical interventions addressing major industry challenges, in­cluding feed costs, water-quality management and the expansion of commercial production.