National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP).

This National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP) is a 5-year nationwide sectoral document that revises the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy of 2001 with the aim of addressing critical issues affecting fisheries and aquaculture development in Malawi such as the need for strengthening monitoring and evaluation as well as the utilization of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). Main goal of the Policy is a sustainable increasing of fisheries and aquaculture productivity for accessible nutritious food and increased contribution to economic growth. The specific objectives are as follows (i) increase annual fish production from capture fisheries; (ii) increase small and large scale aquaculture production; (iii) strengthen participatory fisheries management regimes; (iv) halve post harvest losses; (v) increase annual fish exports; (vi) increase per capita fish consumption; (vii) improve decent employment in fishing communities for youth, women and men and to reduce the number of child laborers; (viii) promote applied research in fisheries and aquaculture and monitor the impact of pollution and environmental changes including climate change; and (ix) develop capacity of the Government and local management institutions to serve the industry.
To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, the Policy (i) promotes aquaculture has a tool to contribute to food security and poverty reduction goal by supplementing capture fisheries that are being exploited at over their maximum sustainable yields; and (ii) focuses on small-scale fisheries to generate rural income and create employment.
In order to make agriculture and fisheries more productive and sustainable, main interventions are directed to promote (i) sustainable control measures for the recovery of the over-exploited stocks; (ii) proper monitoring and control of exploitation of the fisheries resources in all lakes and river systems; (iii) appropriate fishing technologies for the various fisheries with focus on the offshore fish resources; (iv) regulatory measures for sustainable aquaculture development; and (v) development of an information system for sustainable exploitation, management, and conservation of biodiversity.
More inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems will be enabled through (i) a more active participation of local fishing communities and fish farmers in the sustainable development of the fisheries sector; (ii) enabling environment for the small-scale fishing communities in a gender-equitable manner; (iii) assessing child labor issues in the fisheries sector; (iv) promoting decent employment in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture; (v) enhancing capacity of both technical staff and fishing community including women and youth in delivering various services; and () improving fish quality supply and value addition to the fish and fish products through the adoption of best practices including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) aspects, enforcing fish quality standards, and implementing procedures for certification of fish and fish products for domestic and export markets.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the document envisages (i) the assessment of vulnerability and risks of fishing and fish farming communities to climate change impacts; (ii) promotion of applied research in fisheries and aquaculture and monitor the impact of pollution and environmental changes; and (iii) identification and implementation of adaptation measures of the impact of climate change to resource and livelihood of the resource users.
As for the Governance, the Policy promotes a joint effort by the state and non-state actors in the management of resources for the benefit and to the satisfaction of all relevant stakeholders through a participatory fisheries management. The small-scale fisheries are conducted under the open access management system and to regulate the operations it is fundamental a clear tenure rights to fishing, ensuring that access limitations do not result in worsening food insecurity or in undermining customary and traditional rights of current resource users.