China has promised to work with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) to develop the fishing industry in Africa.

Through the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences (CAFS) and the WorldFish Centre, Chinese agreed to work on a scientific research programme on aquaculture—fish growing.

They particularly focus on fish breeding and to co-host future Forums on Fisheries Science and Technology, according to a Nepad Dialogue, a monthly online publication.

The development comes at a time when fresh water fish stocks in African are dwindling but the local and international markets for the fish are steadily growing.

To mitigate against the shortages, Rwanda government is encouraging the private sector to invests in fish farming. The country mostly depends on fish supplies from Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania to feed her population.

According to The Nepad Dialogue, an online publication, the agreement was announced at a luncheon hosted for the Nepad and WorldFish Centre delegations by the president of CAFS, Prof. Zhang Hecheng.

This was during the 2007 Chinese Forum for Fisheries Science and Technology held in Qingdao, the capital city of Shandong province.

Nepad was represented by Dr. Sloans Chimatiro, Nepad fisheries advisor, and WorldFish by Dr. Raul Ponzoni. Under the agreement, WorldFish will mobilise international scientists, particularly fisheries scientists from Africa to give them an opportunity for wider scientific exposure.

In addition, the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, through its cooperation with the WorldFish Centre will explore opportunities to collaborate with African partners in fisheries and aquaculture research and technology development under Nepad.

The National Fisheries Technology and Extension Centre in the Ministry of Agriculture also pledged to work with Nepad to assist African partners in the field of fisheries and aquaculture.

The Forum was co-sponsored by Shanghai Fisheries University, WorldFish Centre, Fisheries Research Agency of Japan, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute of Korea, Ocean University of China and Institute of Oceanography and Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences.

It is reported that during the Forum, Dr. Chimatiro presented a paper entitled "NEPAD action plan for the development of African fisheries and aquaculture: seeking new partnerships in fisheries and aquaculture science”.

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