Côte d’Ivoire launches $33M aquaculture programme to cut imports and strengthen fish value chain

IVORY COAST – Côte d’Ivoire has launched a €28.95 million (US$33.1 million) national programme to strengthen its fisheries and aquaculture sector, as the country seeks to reduce its heavy reliance on fish imports, which currently supply more than 85% of domestic demand.

The Project for the Development of Competitive Value Chains in Aquaculture and Sustainable Fisheries (ProDeCAP), implemented with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will run for five years and targets improvements in production, governance and value chain efficiency. 

The initiative is primarily financed by an African Development Bank loan, which covers 85% of the total budget.

The programme will focus on three key zones: the coastal fishing belt, inland water systems including rivers and reservoirs, and aquaculture production areas across central regions such as Bouaké and Yamoussoukro. 

It is expected to benefit around 700,000 people, including 50,000 in aquaculture and 650,000 in fisheries.

Authorities aim to increase aquaculture production to 35,000 tonnes by 2031, up from just 8,806 tonnes recorded in 2023, according to FAO data. 

The expansion is expected to play a critical role in narrowing the country’s structural fish supply gap.

Market outlook and value chain constraints

Côte d’Ivoire remains the largest importer of fishery products in West Africa, reflecting strong and growing demand driven by urbanisation and changing consumption patterns. 

Domestic production reached 87,228 tonnes in 2023, down more than 23% from 2018 levels, while imports surged to over 732,000 tonnes in 2024, nearly double the volumes recorded in 2015.

The import bill has followed a similar trajectory, rising from 229 billion FCFA (approximately US$411.7 million) to over 518 billion FCFA during the same period. 

This highlights a widening supply-demand gap, particularly in urban markets such as Abidjan, where fish remains a key source of protein.

Despite this demand, the sector faces persistent structural challenges. 

According to the African Development Bank, these include high post-harvest losses, inadequate cold chain infrastructure, illegal and unregulated fishing, and limited access to finance for small-scale operators.

Feed availability and cost remain critical bottlenecks for aquaculture expansion. 

The country relies significantly on imported feed ingredients such as soybean meal and fishmeal, exposing producers to global price volatility and currency risks. 

Limited local feed production capacity also constrains scalability for fish farmers, particularly smallholders who dominate the sector.

Key players in the value chain include small-scale fishers and fish farmers, who account for the majority of domestic supply, as well as importers and distributors, who dominate the market. 

Development partners such as the FAO and African Development Bank continue to play a central role in financing and technical support, while government agencies focus on regulatory reform and sector coordination.

ProDeCAP aims to address these gaps by improving infrastructure, strengthening value chain integration and supporting aquaculture development, including better access to inputs such as feed and fingerlings.

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