Aquaculture development: New incentives for investors

Following discussions with provincial directors responsible for fisheries and aquaculture, Minister Youcef Cherfa promised that the government would grant "facilities" to investors in the sector. The sector objective is to develop aquaculture "throughout the country." Freshwater fish such as red tilapia should become "a widely consumed product."

In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries explained that the national meeting aimed to support "the significant momentum gained by the aquaculture and fisheries sector thanks to government action." In very concrete terms, Minister Youcef Cherfa, emphasizing the sector's objectives, announced that all wilayas now have "an obligation to implement a program to develop fish farming." The production of one species in particular, red tilapia, should be generalized, the minister told officials. This is a priority for the agriculture, rural development, and fisheries sector. Red tilapia, explains Youcef Cherfa, "is set to be included in the list of mass-market products subsidized by the government."

In line with this approach, yesterday the minister instructed officials in the field to "give new impetus to aquaculture," both at sea and in inland provinces, particularly through the use of dams and reservoirs. He promised that the authorities would provide "every facility" to operators wishing to invest in the red tilapia farming sector. The same applies, the statement added, to investment projects aimed at creating farms for fattening bluefin tuna.

As a reminder, the Ministry of Agriculture is forecasting strong growth in aquaculture, particularly for annual freshwater fish production. This is expected to reach around 100,000 tons by 2030. To this end, significant efforts are already underway. Last April, Youcef Cherfa stated that the sector would "provide every possible facility" to encourage the work of "fish fry and fish feed producers."

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, which is inviting the sector to attend the next SIPA 2025 (International Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition) scheduled for November 6-9 in Oran, also raised the issue of developing the fishing fleet yesterday. The Minister did not elaborate, but insisted on optimising the national fishing fleet to the fullest. According to data from the "blue economy" program, this fleet comprises nearly 6,000 fishing vessels, but around 61% of these are traditional fishing boats. Sardine boats and trawlers account for 28.7% and 9.3% of the national fleet, respectively.