Rwanda’s fish output increased significantly in 2018 on account of increased investments in modern and commercially oriented aquaculture practices.
The latest industry outlook, by Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), shows that there was a significant rebound in fish output since 2016.
In 2016, the country produced just 26,581 tonnes of fish before increasing to 31,465 and 43,632 tonnes in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The outlook demonstrates that strategies to increase the country’s fish stocks as it seeks to trim imports and tackle malnutrition are paying off.
Gérardine Mukeshimana, the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, recently told Members of Parliament that government had eased the process of acquiring licenses for aquaculture, which has attracted more investments in the industry.
More and more farmers are adopting cage aquaculture, which deploys enclosed netting material that secures the fish while allowing relatively free water exchange with the surrounding environment, and enables the feeding of the fish in a controlled area.
Fish farming investors are supported to legally obtain fishing concessions of bays, water use permit, import permit for fish feed and other materials and equipment. They are also supported technically in fish farming, fingerlings’ production and fish feed formulation.

So far, there are 26 big investors in fish farming using floating cages including 12 in Lake Kivu, 10 in Lake Muhazi, 3 in Lake Ruhondo and 1 in Lake Sake.

In partnership with private investors, construction of three fish big hatcheries have been installed in Rwamagana, Rwasave and Kigembe, and 8 satellites hatcheries in Gicumbi, Gasabo, Nyanza, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rubavu and Bugesera for fingerlings’ production.
Rwanda targets to produce 112,000 tonnes of fish every year by 2024, according to the fourth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA4), which runs from 2018 to 2024.