The government estimates that fish production in the country will grow by 8% in 2025, reaching a total of 548 thousand tons, driven mainly by the artisanal sector, according to an official report.
According to the document, artisanal fishing is expected to renew its historic production record, with a 7% increase compared to 2024, reaching 514,204 tons, including 9,636 tons of shark.
Meanwhile, commercial fishing is projected to grow by 20%, totaling 23,587 tons, of which 6,436 tons correspond to kapenta, a small freshwater sardine highly appreciated in the domestic market. Finally, aquaculture is expected to register a 5% increase to 10,298 tons, encompassing both industrial and small-scale production in various regions of the country.
In 2024, overall production had already increased by 3% to 508,808 tons, although the target of 522,671 tons was not fully met, reaching only 97% of this benchmark. Still, this value represented a significant increase compared to the 493,088 tons reported in 2023.
Artisanal fishing continues to dominate the total volume in Mozambique. According to the 2022 Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture Census (CEPAA), released last year, nearly 400,000 people and over 42,000 vessels are involved in this activity, operating in inland and maritime waters.
The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries in partnership with the National Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, covered 1,600 fishing centers throughout the national territory (889 in inland waters and 711 in maritime waters), excluding only some areas of Cabo Delgado province due to security issues.
Of the 397,688 professionals identified in the artisanal sector, 110,518 request boats for fishing, 164,439 practice fishing without boats, and 122,731 perform ancillary functions in the value chain, including ship carpenters, mechanics, net makers, processors, and fish traders.
Regarding vessels, 42,723 units were counted, of which 1,986 are motorized, with the majority being dugout canoes (54.4%), mainly present in the provinces of Tete and Zambezia, followed by moma-type canoes (16.4%).
In the aquaculture domain, the same census recorded 21,751 operators, of whom 12,899 are owners of aquaculture units (individual or associated), supported by 8,852 workers, 31.8% of whom are women. Aquaculture activity in Mozambique is mostly subsistence-based (42.9%) and artisanal (46.79%), with the remainder (less than 10.1%) under semi-industrial, industrial, experimental, research, training, and educational regimes. Of the total 11,413 aquaculture production units recorded, 10,518 are tanks.
The report highlights that overall fisheries growth in 2025 will be strongly anchored in the dynamics of the artisanal sector, which mobilizes a large population contingent and constitutes an important socioeconomic pillar in the coastal and riverside areas of the country.
The forecast of 548 thousand tons also reflects the government’s commitment to improving fisheries support infrastructure, fisher training programs, and cold chain development projects, aimed at ensuring greater profitability and sustainability across the sector.
Source: Lusa
