International aquaculture conference at Swakop

THE role of aquaculture in development and food security will be the main discussion point at the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa’s (AASA) conference at Swakopmund in early September.

This year’s conference theme is ‘Africa in the Global Aquaculture Village’ and more than 60 speakers, international experts, service providers, researchers and African government representatives will be meeting at the coast.The Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa (AASA) was established in the 1980s as a body to represent the interests of the aquaculture industry in the southern region of the continent.As the options to harvest fish and other water-based resources become more limited, mankind is turning to the controlled farming of these resources. This has resulted in aquaculture now being responsible for the supply of almost half of the world’s seafood supplies.Given the potential for aquaculture development in Africa, the dire need for improved food security and economic development and the global demand for aquaculture products, this sector is set to expand rapidly on the continent. The conference runs from September 8 to 13.