WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2016 21 industrial development, business infrastructure, value chain and support services, and regulatory environments; diverse consumer markets and levels of disposable income; and richly varied physical terrain and ecosystems. Any analysis of aquaculture activity and potential in Africa thus needs to be taken down to the regional or country level to develop a clear understanding of the diverse opportunities and challenges. In the remainder of this article we focus on South Africa as an example of an African country with an emerging aquaculture sector. Market-driven Aquaculture Growth in South Africa South Africa has a limited suitable natural environment for aquaculture but this has not hampered the country’s drive to develop the aquaculture sector to supplement the productive marine fisheries that are its main source of seafood. Although the country has welldeveloped infrastructure, supply chains and business institutions, a highly exposed coastline on the southern tip of Africa and a waterscarce interior limit the environment for aquaculture production. Nonetheless, significant government support for sector development and investment, rising consumer demand for local and sustainable seafood, and a shift to a value-chain-driven growth strategy are key factors that have combined to create a competitive advantage and signal the coming of age of South African aquaculture. Heavy wave action from Southern Ocean frontal systems and cyclones in the Indian Ocean, and a coastline with few sheltered bays of sufficient size, limit the potential for large-scale marine aquaculture such as sea-cage farming. South Africa has thus focused on the development of shore-based marine aquaculture. Technology has successfully been developed for the culture of abalone Haliotis midae and dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicas, but pump-ashore production costs are high, making this technology suitable only for high-value products. Inland, water-scarcity and wide temperature variation from summer highs to winter lows render large areas of the country unsuitable for either coldwater or warmwater species. Commercial aquaculture is so far limited to the production of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salmo trutta) in the headwaters of mountains, and warmwater species such as African catfish Clarias gariepinus and tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus, O. niloticus) in recirculating systems. Despite these sub-optimal environmental conditions and the relatively low fish prices that have limited the development potential of aquaculture, a combination of key market forces, coupled with government prioritizing the growth of the sector, particularly over (CONTINUED ON PAGE 22) Abalone in growout tanks being fed formulated feed at HIK Abalone Farm. Cultured South African perlemoen abalone is a premium product in Asia. Abalone spat at weaning from diatoms to pelleted feed. Abalone nursery where young abalone (5-10 mm) are weaned from diatoms to formulated feed.
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