Mbabane –Eswatini imports 90% of its fish, highlighting the country’s reliance on foreign supplies and the need to strengthen local fish production to improve food security and create economic opportunities for local producers.
This was highlighted during the official opening of the National Consultative Workshop on Enhancing Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecosystems in the National Blue Economy Strategy of the Kingdom of Eswatini, held at Hilton Garden Inn from October 13 to 15, 2026.
Acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Nhlanhla Motsa, who represented the Principal Secretary, said Eswatini’s rivers, dams and other aquatic resources presented opportunities to expand local fish production.
He said the country had traditionally relied on the land for sustenance, but its water resources could also contribute to economic growth and the fight against food insecurity.
Motsa noted that the country had traditionally imported a significant portion of its aquatic products, despite having water resources that could support a stronger fisheries and aquaculture sector. He pointed to Maguga and Mnjoli dams, as well as the country’s river basins, as part of this potential, alongside developments at the Malkerns Aquaculture Research and Production Centre.
He said the three-day workshop was intended to move beyond policy discussions and develop a practical Strategic Action Plan for fisheries, aquaculture, conservation and freshwater ecosystems, aligned with the country’s National Blue Economy Strategies.
The plan is expected to identify priorities for the development of the sector through 2035 and beyond, including better coordination among Government ministries, private businesses and communities involved in fisheries and aquaculture.
One of the key issues highlighted was the need to address challenges that could prevent local fish farmers from expanding production. These include the availability of fingerlings, the cost of fish feed, access to markets and financial support for producers seeking to grow their operations.
The workshop also seeks to establish how the country can expand fish farming without damaging the natural resources on which the sector depends. This includes protecting biodiversity, maintaining water quality and conserving freshwater habitats as the use of aquatic resources increases.
The meeting was also attended by Obinna Anozie from the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), reflecting the participation of regional stakeholders in discussions on fisheries, aquaculture and the sustainable management of aquatic resources.
The Ministry of Agriculture, he said, was committed to taking the workshop’s recommendations forward into policy implementation.
The workshop also places emphasis on the participation of young people, women and local communities, with aquaculture identified as a potential source of employment and income generation.
Through the consultative process, stakeholders are expected to consider how local producers can move beyond subsistence farming towards commercial-scale operations capable of supplying markets more consistently.
The discussions are taking place within the broader context of the blue economy, which focuses on the sustainable use of aquatic resources to support economic development, livelihoods and environmental conservation.
Motsa officially opened the workshop and called on participants to ensure that their deliberations produced practical priorities for developing fisheries, aquaculture and freshwater ecosystems in Eswatini.
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