Senegal targets US$64.9M private investment push to expand aquaculture by 2030

SENEGAL – Senegal’s National Aquaculture Agency has unveiled a five-year plan aimed at attracting around US$64.9 million in private sector investment to increase fish farming production and reduce pressure on declining marine fish stocks.

The funding programme forms part of the country’s 2026-2030 Strategic Aquaculture Development Plan, which received official approval on May 12 and sets out production and infrastructure targets for the sector.

According to details published by local newspaper Le Soleil, authorities intend to rely heavily on private capital to finance the expansion of aquaculture activities across the country over the next five years.

Under the new strategy, Senegal is aiming to increase aquaculture production to 20,000 tonnes annually by 2030 compared to 3,049 tonnes recorded in 2025, representing more than a sixfold increase over the period.

To support the planned rise in output, the agency wants to increase annual fingerling production capacity to 52 million units to supply fish farms while also developing domestic fish feed manufacturing to limit reliance on imported products.

Authorities say capture fisheries are struggling to satisfy growing domestic demand due to continued pressure on marine resources and the deterioration of coastal ecosystems, prompting a stronger shift towards fish farming as an alternative source of supply.

Speaking on the initiative, Samba Ka described aquaculture as a strategic necessity rather than a secondary option for the country’s food production system.

Cost pressures remain a challenge

Despite the government’s production targets, the aquaculture industry in Senegal continues to face operational and financial barriers that have slowed expansion in several African markets.

In a report released earlier this year, the World Economic Forum stated that aquaculture production costs across Africa remain between 10% and 20% above global averages due to difficulties accessing affordable fish feed supplies.

The organisation said many producers still depend on imported conventional feed ingredients such as soybean meal and fishmeal because local manufacturing capacity remains limited in many countries across the continent.

According to the report, dependence on imported feed materials also increases vulnerability to international price fluctuations while raising production expenses for local fish farmers seeking to scale up operations.

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