Fish farming and marketing integrated with market gardening in Amahoue

Benin has a fish production of less than 41,000 tonnes annually, while domestic demand for fish products is around 150,000 tonnes. Furthermore, imports of frozen fish have been increasing over the years, with approximately 70,000 tonnes imported each year.

The village of Amahoué is located along the Amahoué River, in an aquifer zone where the water table is shallow and relatively accessible. Artesian wells are found in this area, and in Amahoué, this resurgence appeared a few years ago, spontaneously gushing water throughout the day, flooding fields and homes. This natural phenomenon poses a threat to the survival of farming communities but also represents a potential asset for water-intensive activities such as fish farming and off-season vegetable crops. Indeed, small-scale market gardening and fishing are developing around the river, but the fish farming potential in this area remains largely untapped due to the limited technical, organizational, and financial capacity of the local population, while the need for animal protein continues to grow, and young people are leaving the village in search of new farmland.

Faced with this situation, the Beninese NGO IDART Benin, in partnership with the French association ADDIL Benin-Togo, conducted studies and trials on fish farming. These studies highlighted the feasibility of a fish farming project in the village of Amahoué, as well as the existence of a local demand for fish. In 2021, a pilot project with two ponds was implemented, providing training for beneficiaries and involving them in the construction and maintenance of the ponds, as well as in the conditions for stocking the fish. This initial project was a success, and the partner associations hope to expand it by creating eight new ponds.