The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), has commissioned the CSIR to conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for aquaculture development in South Africa.

“The overall purpose of the SEA is to support the responsible growth of the aquaculture industry in South Africa,” says Lizande Kellerman, CSIR environmental scientist and project manager for the SEA.

“The SEA aims to achieve this in two ways: firstly, by identifying suitable areas where environmentally sustainable aquaculture development can be prioritised and incentivised. And, secondly, by providing a streamlined and integrated management and regulatory framework to reduce compliance complexities and improve decision-making processes,” Kellerman explains.

The SEA will cover all nine provinces and includes offshore and land-based aquaculture for both freshwater and salt water species. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the world. An additional 50 million tonnes of fish is required to feed the world population by 2030 and it is anticipated that worldwide, this production will come mainly from aquaculture. Aquaculture includes the breeding, rearing and harvesting of plants and animals in salt or fresh water.

In South Africa, aquaculture is still in its infancy and has thus been identified by government as a priority area for economic growth. However, the sector faces several challenges, including the over regulation of the sector, production is only focused on a few high-value species, scarcity of freshwater and a harsh marine environment, difficulty in accessing project funding, limited pool of skills and support services, unpredictability associated with climate change, vast difference between winter and summer temperatures, challenges with access to land and sea space, and perceived competition with the tourism and conservation sectors.

Should you wish to contribute to the SEA process, please register as a participating stakeholder via the SEA website.