Rwanda: Development of Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) documentation to support the fisheries and aquaculture sector

Project background

The KWIHAZA 4-years programme (more information) of the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel), pursues the implementation of the objectives and targets of the national strategies and plans for the transformation of agriculture in Rwanda. It aims to build the capacity of smallholder farmers and other value chain actors and support research centres so that they can improve and ensure the quality of their products to meet the required market standards. The aim is to improve access to local and regional markets. The aquaculture sector is of particular interest for development and will receive special attention. Sustainable production, increased per capita consumption and income generation from fisheries and aquaculture value chains will be promoted, with a focus on SMEs, cooperatives, women and youth. The main obstacles to the development of the aquaculture and fisheries sector are insufficient knowledge and lack of capacity of the actors in the entire value chain. Addressing these capacity gaps in aquaculture is of key importance. COFAD has been contracted to provide technical services in developing an updated guide for extension workers and service providers to improve the capacity of farmers and other value chain actors in Rwandan aquaculture.

Objectives

COFAD was assigned two objectives: The first was to detect capacity gaps and to identify training needs and knowledge areas where guidelines should be targeted in the sector.  The second objective entailed updating existing guidelines and documentation, as well as identifying the necessity for new documentation to address significant knowledge gaps among sector stakeholders.

The overall result of these two objectives was the production of new and updated aquaculture guidelines addressing themes: biosecurity and aquatic (fish) health, post-harvest management and handling of fish products, feeding practices and techniques etc. These guidelines were subsequently validated by the sector through two stakeholder workshops, where drafts were reviewed and finalized.

Activities and Results

• Capacity Gap Analysis (CGA) in order to identify intervention areas along aquaculture value chain where the development of guidelines could be most beneficial
• CGA engaging a wide range of actors (>50) throughout the value chain (fish farmers and producers: ponds and cages, fish handlers, processors, traders, feed and seed producers, as well as government extension service providers and regulators / inspectors among other sector-specific support actors)
• Review of existing documents/ materials and evaluation where new documentation was needed and where old documentation needed to be updated
• Organisation of stakeholder workshops in order to present and receive feedback from sector actors on the results of the CGA and the updated / new guidelines
• Finalization of the CGA findings based on the results of stakeholder workshop in the form of a final report
• Finalization and translation (into Kinyarwanda language) of draft guidelines with stakeholder and client comments considered and validated in the form of a final workshop including sector stakeholders