24 DECEMBER 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG fishing and inshore demersal trawl, it is ‘green-listed’ for aquaculture production. A local producer of dusky kob has built its brand image on sustainability and green-listing, resulting in its farmed product being bought in preference to the wild-caught fish and at a higher price. The wide acceptance of the SASSI listing system by national retailers and restaurants opens the door for the sustainably produced, traceable value chain, green-listed products of local aquaculture producers. Locally-farmed fish is also seen to offer positive product attributes of reliability of supply and consistent quality. While seafood restaurant franchises are adopting sustainable seafood sourcing policies, and top chefs are making sustainability and green-listing a non-negotiable sourcing condition, aquaculture also stands to benefit significantly from the sustainability commitments made by major national retailers and particularly their interest in partnering to develop seafood value chains and assist emerging producers to meet their quality and sustainability criteria. These retailers want to work with producers to develop the value chain, not only to secure their supply and product quality but also in line with overall commitments to sustainability, social responsibility and black economic empowerment (see for example, Woolworths’ ‘Good Business Journey’ — www.woolworths.co.za/store/cat/_/Nnmexhj). The opportunity for aquaculture is there to be taken, but the challenge for this new industry is to reach sufficient production volumes, reduce input costs and establish economies-of-scale along with integrated, mature value chains. Enabling Aquaculture Growth The foundation for an enabling environment to support growth of the aquaculture sector is in place, with the South African government prioritizing aquaculture in its National Development Plan (NDP) to 2030 as a sector with high growth potential and a route to alleviating poverty, unemployment and inequality through enhanced food security. The National Aquaculture Policy Framework, an ambitious and comprehensive sector development plan regarded as central to achievement of the goals of the NDP, is supported by the National Aquaculture Strategy and Action Plan, which sets clear targets towards doubling production by 2020. These strategies are given substance and the development of commercial-scale aquaculture supported in the country’s Industrial Policy Action Plan through investment incentives and grants offered by the Department of Trade and Industry under the Aquaculture Development Enhancement Programme. The inclusion of aquaculture in the Presidency-led Operation Phakisa initiative to stimulate growth of the ‘blue economy’ has lent further impetus to these policies and support measures through its approach to fast-tracking development by driving integrated activity by stakeholders and government departments accustomed to working in silos, cutting through red-tape and focusing on implementation at a detailed, action-step level. The targets for the aquaculture sector are to more than treble production to 20,000 tons by 2019, growing current production value of US$ 48.2 million to US$ 208 million and creating 2,500 new direct jobs (with an additional 15,000 new jobs forecast for the value chain). This is to be achieved by supporting expansion of existing operations and assisting the establishment of new operations in some 32 identified catalytic projects, mainly in high-value species abalone and oyster as well as a handful in dusky kob, trout and salmon. These interventions are complemented by measures to address legislative and regulatory constraints that hamper growth and investment in the sector, such as fast-tracking environmental impact assessments and land transfer, as well as setting monitoring and certification standards, providing access to markets, access to state land, support to producer organizations for value chain development, and training of people for careers in aquaculture. The aquaculture sector benefits from a close working relationship and cooperation between industry and government on sector development and management, enabled by government’s investment in developing a dedicated aquaculture support team within the lead agency, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). The aquaculture industry is well-organized through representative producer associations and the overarching AquacultureSA commodity group is recognized by DAFF as a representative body with which it can formally engage on implementation of the aquaculture development policy and diverse issues such as trade, market development, research, development interventions and veterinary services. Small-scale farmers sorting mussels, Saldanha Bay. Small-scale mussel farmer with newly prepared rope of seed mussels.
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