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African countries, including Mozambique, should consider the importance of "Blue Revolution" for mass production of fish by using simple techniques, for hunger eradication and improve people's diet.

Deputy Director-General of the Worldfish Centre, Patrick Dugan stressed, this week in Maputo, the importance of fish to achieve food security and improve income of African families.

Dugan was speaking to a group of both Mozambicans and Angolans journalists during a lecture on the theme "The importance of fisheries and agriculture in the fight against hunger in Africa".

This year, the Mozambican government approved its National Plan for Food Production, a strategy designed under the National Strategy for Green Revolution, adopted in June 2007.

The plan aims to reduce the current production deficit of major food crops, such as rice and wheat, and also to boost and promote large-scale production of maize and cassava.

Also, the plan, being implemented under the aegis of the Agriculture Ministry, seeks to reduce dependency on imported oilseeds, poultry and fish over the next three farming seasons.

Dugan's arguments revolve around the importance of investment and improved management of fish farming and adoption of new technologies for small-scale fish production, as well agricultural development.

Thus, according to Dugan, both "Green Revolution and Blue" would jointly contribute to food security, improve the diet of those infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and increase their income.

The challenge, explained Dugan, lies on improved market access, increased incentives for fish production and training.

These investments can improve food security of families, their health, and boost income from the sale of fish.

In neighbouring Malawi, for example, peasant families dig shallow ponds, 10 to 15 meters deep, usually in the vicinity of the fields where the soil is capable of retaining rainwater. In these ponds, they breed fish species most common in the region.

People also use manure from their chickens and goats to keep the ponds full of nutrients favourable to the development of microorganisms that are used by fish to feed. Six months later, the fish reach adequate size to be sold in the market.

The existing manure, which eventually settles on the bottom, would be used as fertilizer to grow a number of crops, such as maize.

Fish is important to the rural families due to its high protein content, calcium and vitamin A, essential for children and adult growth and also improve the diet of people living with HIV/AIDS.

"These are business opportunities for small farmers", said Dugan, emphasizing the need to invest in a business that impacts on fish production and other food crops.

Worldfish Centre estimates that an investment of 30 million dollars on a project called African Program for Sustainable Aquaculture can increase fish production by 10 percent over the next 15 years.

Also, this investment could generate revenues ranging from one to two billion dollars and create more than five million jobs by 2020, besides ensuring food security for many millions others.

Currently, fish is a staple food for over 400 million people in Africa. On the other hand, the fishing industry employs about 10 million people, mostly women, involved in the sale and processing.

Annual income generated from fish exports can reach up to 2.7 billion dollars, while the volume of sales along the African coast may reach three billion dollars.

Despite these large quantities of fish exported to Western countries, the level of fish consumption in Africa has fallen over the last 20 years from nine to 6.6 kilograms per person, while rising in the West from 12 to 60 kilograms per year.

One reason behind this trend is that many Africans are increasingly willing to sell their produce to raise their income.

However, according Worldfish Centre, these benefits may disappear soon, since the quantities of available natural fish tend to stagnate and business of aquaculture is not developing rapidly.