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Aquaculture: Institutional and legal arrangements |
 Aquaculture sector development
Governments should regulate the development of the industry ensuring that its potential environmental impacts are avoided or minimised, and to ensure that participation in the industry is equitable.
At the regional level, the SADC Protocol on Fisheries addresses aquaculture in its Article 13 and constitutes an important guide to policy makers and planners at both the national and regional level. This section presents a brief analysis of aquaculture legislation in the three countries of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. There may also be other applicable regulations at the local authority level.
Angola
The Institute for Development of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IPA), under the Ministry of Fisheries, is responsible for the development of the artisanal fishery sector, including marine and inland fisheries, through fostering sustainable and responsible fishing activities, by assisting in the creation of cooperatives and in fund raising for fishing gear and support infrastructure, as well as by providing advice and training on management of fisheries. For more information please contact IPA.
The Angolan legal framework for aquaculture development includes the following:
- Progress and Sustainability Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Ministry of Fisheries, 2004)
- National Aquaculture Policy (Ministry of Fisheries, 2004)
- Aquatic Biological Resources Law (Law N 6 A/04, 8 October 2004)
- Aquaculture Regulation (Decree N 39/05)
- Land Use Plan for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2006-2010 (Resolution N 9/06)
Namibia
Namibia is the only country within the BCLME region that has a stand alone Aquaculture Act passed in 2003. In 2004 Namibia’s Aquaculture Strategic Plan was published.
South Africa
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is responsible for the management, regulation and development of the Marine Aquaculture sector in South Africa.
The Marine Living Resources Act (No 18 of 1998) gave the national government the mandate to promote, facilitate and co-ordinate the sustainable development of mariculture in South Africa.
The South African government recently passed a Policy for the Development of a Sustainable Marine Aquaculture Sector in this country. This is an attempt to promote and regulate aquaculture in South Africa, as well as to provide an enabling climate for increased participation and equity in the industry.
Fish Health, Safety and Quality Assurance
Concern over food safety and quality is a growing concern, especially in the area of seafood. There is a need to avoid contamination of aquaculture products from when they are cultured, all the way through to the dinner table.
The human health hazards associated with fish can be grouped into pre-harvest contamination, and contamination following harvesting and processing. Pre-harvest contamination mainly involves biological hazards: bacteria, parasites, and to a lesser extent, chemical hazards.
There are several food safety and quality assurance institutions in Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Angola
The country’s Ministry of Fisheries is the recognised Competent Authority for Product Health certification, with microbiological testing and certification being carried out at INIP (Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira or National Fishing Research Institute). At this institution, microbiological analysis of water and fish products for total plate counts of bacteria, including the Salmonella, total coli-forms and E. coli species, are conducted.
Namibia
The country’s well developed inspection and quality assurance of fish and fishery products for the marine captured fish can serve the aquaculture industry. However, the Ministry of Trade and Industry continues to be the Competent Authority for the establishment of the necessary fish inspection and quality assurance infrastructure.
South Africa
In terms of South Africa’s Animal Health Act, the certification of each shipment that it is disease free and healthy falls with the State Veterinary Service, under the Department of Agriculture. The State Veterinary does acknowledge this role but there is limited manpower capacity to certify the health of aquatic organisms. However, South Africa has a well established fishery products processing sector, which exports fishery products all over the world. This country has the capacity to assist Namibia and Angola to develop adequate shellfish monitoring programmes.
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