Aquaculture took on a new dimension in Senegal at the end of January, with the inauguration of a flagship infrastructure to develop this industry of the future. The hatchery, built with the support of the Veolia Foundation, will enable massive production of fish farming inputs, at the heart of the virtuous cycle of market garden aquaculture.
On January 30, Mbodiène, 120 km from Dakar, welcomed a delegation of public authority representatives and partners from the Aar Aduna - Aar Jiggen program. This aquaponics system combines fish farming (raising fish in basins) and market garden production. This innovative project, supported from its inception in 2020 by the Veolia Foundation, has now reached a milestone.
Mbodiène already had aquaculture ponds. But, like the rest of the industry, these farms were faced with the cost of fish farming inputs: fry. Feed accounts for some 60-70% of a fish farm's expenses, weighing heavily on its business model. The newly-built hatchery will enable the reproduction and hatching of tilapia eggs to guarantee the supply of fish ponds.
This latest building block completes a virtuous circle and an exemplary system. Of the site's five hectares, two are dedicated to the hatchery and three to agriculture. Water from the ponds, enriched with nutrients by the tilapia, is used to irrigate crops. As a result, market garden production increases, generating higher incomes.
How does it work?
Market garden aquaculture is a practice inspired by aquaponics, combining fish farming (raising fish in ponds) and market gardening. This model creates a virtuous production chain. A pond, supplied with water by a well equipped with a solar pump, is home to growing tilapias, farmed fish. The water from the pond, loaded with nitrogen, phosphate and potassium thanks to the fish's faeces, irrigates the neighboring market garden land, increasing production.
Aquaculture in Senegal from 2020 to 2024
5,713 people trained in fish and oyster farming techniques
3,045 jobs created
32,899,606 fry produced
The hatchery has a production capacity of one million fry per year. This volume will meet the needs of the farms supported by the Veolia Foundation, as well as other farms currently being set up thanks to the impetus of the Senegalese authorities. The funds generated by these sales will be reinvested to finance new local initiatives and train young Senegalese in aquaculture, irrigation and agriculture.
From experimentation to model replication, Aar Aduna - Aar Jiggen has become a benchmark well beyond the region. The presence of Senegal's Minister of Fisheries, Maritime and Port Infrastructures, Dr. Fatou Diouf, to inaugurate this new infrastructure, demonstrated this. Aquaculture is now a national priority, with enormous potential to meet the growing demand for fish products,” she said. With global aquatic animal production now exceeding that of capture fisheries, aquaculture is a sector with a bright future for Senegal.”
The Senegalese government is aiming to set up a sector that will provide income and jobs, with the national objective of ensuring food sovereignty. Through the Agence Nationale de l'Aquaculture (ANA), it is strengthening the aquaculture industry by setting up aquaculture clusters and dedicated aquaculture zones. In recent years, dozens of new fish farms have been built in the Thiès, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Kaoloack and Matam regions, the latest of which is at Keur Pathe Ndiaye, with 12 tanks. By the end of 2024, Senegal will have 575 aquaculture production sites. The start of a promising future.
A national strategy for an industry of the future
Under the aegis of the Agence Nationale de l'Aquaculture (ANA), a Stratégie Nationale pour le Développement Durable de l'Aquaculture (SNDAq) 2023-2032 has been announced. The objectives are equal to the challenges:
- A national aquaculture production of 65,000 tonnes supported by a production of 172 million fry and 90,000 tonnes of locally produced quality feed.
- The creation of 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- A contribution of 52 billion CFA francs to Senegal's GDP.
Reportage d'APS sur l'inauguration
