Accentuating the profile of Africa's small-scale fisheries at the UNFCCC COP 30 in Belém, Brazil

Written by Okeloh W’Namadoa and Gabriel Muswali

Small-scale fisheries contribute significantly to global food security and poverty alleviation.In Africa, small-scale fisheries are vital for food security, livelihoods, and national economies, accounting for some 66 percent of the continent's capture fisheries production( FAO, Duke University & WorldFish, 2023).

However, the small-scale fisheries subsector faces significant challenges including dwindling fishery resources and inadequate infrastructure, alongside limited exploitation of emerging opportunities in technological innovation and policy support. In addition, Africa’s small-scale fisheries are disproportionately affected by adverse climate change impacts such as reduced catch potential in warming waters, which threaten livelihoods and food security. In spite of this, prioritization of small-scale fisheries focused climate change interventions has not received significant attention in most African countries.

It is against this background that the Pan African Platform of Non-State Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture (AFRIFISH-Net) and the Eastern African Platform for Non-State Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture (EARFISH)  participated in the 30^th Conference of Parties (COP 30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Belém, Brazil, on 10-21 November 2025, to raise the profile of Africa’s small-scale fisheries agenda in global climate change discourse.

Discussions on aquatic food systems

The AFRIFISH-Net and EARFISH delegates participated in sessions addressing the nexus between aquatic food systems and climate change. During the discussions on transforming aquatic food systems for equity, resilience and climate action, it was noted that many ocean States have started including fisheries-related interventions in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) while some other countries have identified climate mitigation objectives for possible action.

Regarding the role of small-scale fisheries as part of nature-based climate solutions, the EARFISH representative stressed the importance of prioritization and subsequent funding of aquatic food systems, focusing especially on small-scale fisheries in Africa under the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (the SSF Guidelines). This approach would ensure that climate change, a key cross-cutting theme of the SSF Guidelines, is an integral part of initiatives promoting aquatic foods systems. In addition, the AFRIFISH-Net delegate underscored the vital contributions that fisher women in Africa make towards safeguarding the ecosystems and livelihoods within fishing communities.

Aquatic food systems were officially recognized as a key climate solution in the Global Climate Action Agenda Outcomes Report, launched by the COP 30 Presidency and the High-Level Climate Champions. This has not only raised the profile of small-scale fisheries within global climate action but also presents a critical opportunity for attracting support for climate adaptation interventions for the sub-sector in Africa. The expectation now of small-scale fishers and fish workers in Africa is that the global endorsement will translate into concrete national actions. These include promoting adoption and implementation of the SSF Guidelines through among other measures, the development and operationalization of National Plans of Action on SSF Guidelines (NPOAs-SSF) across the continent.

Octopus fishers with their catch at the Kenyan Indian Ocean coast.

Members of a traditional small-scale net fishery load their nets into their boat on the beach at Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa