The Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources, Sidi Tiémoko Touré, recently received in audience a delegation from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), led by Shinohara Shunei, head of West Africa for the agency. This meeting is an extension of an already long-standing cooperation between Abidjan and Tokyo on the issue of continental fish farming. The discussions focused on the preparation of the Development Policy Support Project (DPL) in the aquaculture sector, an instrument designed to support the reforms initiated by the Ministry. The stated objective is to strengthen the competitiveness, performance and attractiveness of the sector, while ensuring growth deemed to be both sustainable and inclusive. 

This initiative complements the Continental Fish Production Recovery Project (PREPICO 2), launched in 2021 by JICA in several localities in the South and East of the country, including Dabou, Aboisso, Agboville and Abengourou. This program, with approximately 3.2 billion CFA francs, aims to increase local fish production from 1,800 to 8,000 tonnes by 2027, by focusing on Nile tilapia and catfish. According to JICA, seminars recently organized in Agboville have already sought to attract new private investors to Ivorian aquaculture, a sector still limited by the low number of active fish farmers. The future DPL should therefore consolidate this work by acting on the institutional and regulatory framework, a condition deemed necessary to unlock the potential of the sector. 

Through this collaboration, the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources reaffirms its desire to build a modern and efficient aquaculture, capable of increasing national production and contributing to the food sovereignty of Côte d'Ivoire.