In Sofala province, central Mozambique, captive fish production increased by 67.6% in 2023 compared to 2022. The sector has generated more jobs and boosted economic growth.
With the fish crisis and restrictions on the closed season in Mozambique, aquaculture has been an alternative for supplying seafood to domestic and foreign markets.
The scarcity of fish on the Sofala Bank has spurred investment in the area, with a focus on the production of fingerlings and feed for poultry farmers and state projects.
With the implementation of the Small-Scale Aquaculture Development Project (PRODAPE) since 2021, there has been significant growth in the farming of fish, shrimp, crabs and others in captivity in Sofala.
In 2023, for example, the province produced 220.8 tonnes of fish in captivity – an increase of 67.6% compared to 2022. In the same period, Sofala saw an exponential increase in fish farmers, from 13 to 2,041.
Increased production
With PRODAPE, there has been a noticeable improvement in the diet of communities, according to statistics on purchases for domestic consumption. According to Izidro Intaze, delegate of the National Institute for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Sofala, the production and circulation of fish in captivity has grown considerably in recent years.
And the fish farming sector employs close to 7,000 workers in the province, including nationals and foreigners, as well as permanent and seasonal workers. All this drives economic and social growth in the region.
Mouli Liu, director of FuLi Moçambique, one of the two largest fish fry and feed production companies supplying the agricultural sector, plans to expand activities to other provinces. Mozambique continues to import a large amount of feed to feed shellfish.
“Now we’re going to increase. In a year, we want to produce at least five thousand tonnes of feed. Raising tilapia and teaching this to people in Mozambique,” he says.
The production of shellfish in captivity is little known in Mozambique. FuLi Mozambique is considered a pioneer in the country in the export of shrimp and live crab.
DW
