Interview with Dr. Sherif Sadek (Egypt) – President Emeritus, African Chapter – World Aquaculture Society – The Aquaculture Africa Media (AAM), one of the leading international networking platforms on African aquaculture provides a feature interview to Dr Sherif Sadek, a renowned aquaculture professional from Egypt. He was also the First President of the African Chapter of WAS (WAS-AC) from 2018 to 2022. As a gesture to recognize his service to African aquaculture and value to the WAS, Dr Sadek was awarded a WAS Exemplary Honorary Service Award at the recently held Aquaculture Africa Conference 2023 (Zambia).
1. You are a long-serving member of the WAS, having joined the organisation in 1991. What enticed or propelled you to join the WAS?
I am a believer in organised societies, having seen the power they have to bring like-minded peoples and parties together for cooperation, collaboration and mutual support. Like in many other sectors, societal cohesion has also been seen and encouraged as a strategic pillar for the advancement and strengthening of the aquaculture sector globally. With all this in mind, and many other inherent benefits, I made a decision to join the WAS in 1991. Remember the WAS was already in existence since 1969. I didn’t want to be left behind on its interesting and progressive journey.
2. As a renowned global aquaculture expert, in what ways has the WAS and its deliverables been beneficial to your profession over time?
Since joining the WAS over three decades ago, I can attest to being one of the living testimonies of aquaculture career excitement and advancement. I started with y undergraduate studies at a University in France, then proceeded post-graduating at some WAS affiliated Universities in the USA and elsewhere, to connecting with fellow WAS young researchers and professionals worldwide, most of whom were mentored through the WAS system; to occupying leadership positions as Vice Chairperson of the Egyptian Aquaculture Society (EgAS) and being the first or pioneer President of the WAS-AC. This has enabled me not only to build my capacity in aquaculture but also further instigated confidence in me to establish an active aquaculture consulting and supply company, and also a partner for a shrimp farm in Egypt. Many fellow members of the EgAS can also attest to have benefitted immensely from WAS’s deliverables on aquaculture science, education, networking, technological advancements and conferences.
3. In 2018, you were elected as first and pioneer President of the African Chapter of WAS (WAS-AC). What were your focused key result areas?
The membership of WAS in Africa voted for me to lead the Executive Board of the WAS-AC. The process started during the first WAS World Conference in Africa, which took place in Cape Town in 2017. EgAS was probably the largest national aquaculture society in Africa by membership base and also affiliated to the WAS. With my leadership experience, WAS members in Africa encouraged me to take on the task of leading the Chapter. My role was initially and understandably quite overwhelming as it entailed establishing the Chapter structures from scratch, and thinking through on how to best manage it. The clear WAS guidelines on establishing a Chapter, and also the very supportive, result oriented Interim Executive Board of Directors and a functional Secretariat contributed greatly to the success of this task. So, in a way, being a pioneer, I planted and nurtured the seeds for the vibrant and sustainable society we now have today. My next biggest milestone was to co-ordinate the organisation of the first Aquaculture Africa Conference (AFRAQ21) as a key deliverable for the Chapter. Thankfully, this was successfully held in Alexandria, Egypt in March 2022.
4. What were the major challenges you faced as President of the WAS-AC?
Africa is a diverse continent culturally, economically and in many other areas. Its aquaculture landscape has many disparities. We decided to organise the continent into five strategic regions of operation (North, West, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa) with the understanding that each region is unique in the way its aquaculture sector operates. But we had to find commonalities and instruments that binds the continent together for the advancement of aquaculture. This is a long-term process.
And then the disruptive elements of the Covid pandemic happened during my tenure as President. It was especially disruptive during the organisation of AFRAQ21 in Egypt, as we were unsure whether the event was to go ahead. We had to postpone the event twice. Being a first AFRAQ in Africa, there were several other organisational and hosting challenges that we faced along the way. The other chronic challenge that we still face today is the language barrier. Africa has large blocks of Anglophone, Francophone and Arabic speaking countries. It also has growing Portuguese and Swahili speaking populations. Getting everyone to effectively communicate with each other in a seamless manner has been an ongoing challenge. Technically, Africa’s aquaculture landscape is largely characterized by small scale commercial operators, but bigger, industrial scale operations are proliferating in several countries. Addressing the special needs of these two distinct sub-sectors has often required a careful approach that leaves no-one feeling left behind. There are of course numerous other challenges to the general development of aquaculture in Africa.
5. What was the experience like of being the conference co-ordinator and co-Chair for the first Aquaculture Africa 2021 Conference (AFRAQ21, Egypt).
To be honest, being at the helm of co-ordinating and chairing such a large-scale conference was not an easy undertaking. It required strong commitment and dedication. I had sleepless nights trying to get things done under tight deadlines, especially the last-minute logistical aspects to bring a large number of people to Egypt. Everything has to be done to the premium WAS standard of conferencing and exposition, to ensure that an attendee would want to come back to a future AFRAQ again. It was undoubtedly a great learning experience also. But in the end, I was comforted and enthralled to have seen over 1700 attendees from around the world (mostly from Africa) converged in Alexandria during the conference days. In fact, as you may recall, it was one of the major WAS conferences that pulled people from the hard lockdowns of the Covid pandemic.
In addition to my leadership role in Chairing the event, its plenary and other side-meetings, my company, Aquaculture Consultant Office (ACO), also exhibited at AFRAQ21. All these networking opportunities and engaging experiences indeed raised the bar for my profession.
During the Conference, the visible connection between Egyptian aquaculture entities with their fellow African and global entities was enthralling, as it fulfilled one of my aspirations of seeing a north-south co-operation platform developing and bearing fruit. To this day, many aquaculture actors and institutions from Sub-Saharan African are making their way to Egypt for learning and other expositions. It was good to see many AFRAQ21 attendees visiting the touristic sites of Egypt, as I believe this brought additional economic benefits to the country.
6. Out of your great efforts in leading the establishment of the WAS-AC, Co-chairing the AFRAQ21 in Egypt and other leadership roles in aquaculture – the WAS recognised you with an EXEMPLARY HONORARY SERVICE AWARD, presented during the Opening Ceremony of the AFRAQ23 in Zambia. How would you describe that moment?
That was a rare, mesmerising moment! To be honoured on this global stage, by the WAS membership at large, with the special plaque handed over by a very high-level state figure – the Zambian Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Hon. Makozo Chikote); flanked by renowned global aquaculture figures; and witnessed by a very large audience of over 1000 during that plenary session, was life-changing.
I must however highlight that the positive achievements during my tenure was a product of teamwork and collaboration with various parties – and I bestow this award to my Chapter Board of Directors (whom I worked with during my term), the support from EgAS, the WAS capacity building dispensations and to all those who played a role in many of our achievements.
7. What roles are you playing these days in serving the development of the aquaculture sector in Egypt and reaching out to Africa?
I am the Founder and Creator of the Aquaculture Consultant Office (ACO) in Egypt, which specialises in business development consultancies in warmwater aquaculture and the supply of aquaculture equipment. I am also a founding partner of a flourishing shrimp farm near Port-Said Governorate, Egypt with a yearly production capacity of 25 metric tonnes. I am still the Vice Chairman of the EgAS, and occupy other strategic and leadership roles in research and innovation in Egyptian aquaculture. Internationally, I continue to be consulted for the establishment of aquafarms. For instance, I am one of the lead consultants for TANLAPIA Ltd https://tanlapia.com/, an upcoming and fledging aquaculture business enterprise in Tanzania. Being an expert on Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture systems in desert and arid lands (aquaponics, sandponics, IMTA systems etc, I also do consultancy and advisory work on aquaculture in several North African and Middle – Eastern countries, amongst other roles. I have done some extensive consulting work for the FAO, World Fish and other several organisations.
I am still a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the WAS African Chapter, where as President Emeritus, I keep providing strategic direction for the Chapter’s business operations to serve aquaculture in Africa. I am also playing a role in the organisation of the upcoming Aquaculture Africa 2024 Conference scheduled for Tunisia from 19 to 22 November 2024.
8. You are very passionate about Africa’s continental co-operation on aquaculture development. From your perspective, what do you think needs to be done for Africa to unite the continent on this front?
I am a strong proponent of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), and I keep praying that one day it will be a strategic vehicle to bring Africa together and advance the continent’s aquaculture developmental agenda. We are in the process of exploring how WAS-AC could play a strategic role in this mix. I believe the free movement of Africa’s peoples, goods and services, and improved trade amongst ourselves as Africans, will go a long way in us realising the dream of a sector that will meaningfully feed the rapidly growing population, yet minimise the large volumes of imported fish and fish feeds we are witnessing today. I also laud the great efforts by continental organisations and development partners such as the African Union, WorldFish, FAO, Africa Development Bank, the EU and many other international partners that are contributing to solutions for Africa’s aquaculture challenges.
9. In your opinion, how do you see the growth of aquaculture in Egypt in the next decade?
Egypt is relatively advanced in aquaculture development and is still a strategic global “giant”, producing over 80% of the total African aquaculture output by volume, mostly by tilapias. Aquaculture production peaked to 1,576 million metric tonnes in the year 2021, with the annual share per capita being 19.4 kg. I believe the country’s strong foundation will ensure the sector remains resilient, weathering through many of the present challenges.
I must however highlight that the country is presently facing many challenges around doing business in aquaculture, as we are seeing the economic situation in Egypt negatively impacting many aqua businesses – contributing to the high cost of aquafeeds, marine seeds, high energy costs and other overheads that push the cost of production up significantly. The availability of good water quality for aquaculture expansion is also slowly becoming an issue.
10. What are 3 topical issues that you think need to be addressed in order for African aquaculture to fully realise its potential in the next decade?
There are many issues, but in a nutshell, there remains policy, governance, and international relations challenges that need to be carefully and strategically addressed in order for the continent to move in one direction; learning from each other. I again bring the AfCTA into the mix here. This historic agreement, signed by 44 African Union member states in March 2018 is set to promote intra-African trade, and international exports, and provide equal opportunities for businesses across the continent. The removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers will enable more efficient supply chains and expansion into new markets, benefiting both large companies and small and medium-sized businesses.
Addressing the needs of small-scale aquaculture entities should be paramount, as I believe this sub-sector will be the future for African aquaculture growth. Our broader economies are being impacted by the geo-political environment and also climate change impacts. There is a need to find solutions to mitigate these challenges and for the sector to remain resilient. Lastly, many African countries are talking of opening up space and investments in the blue economy domain. The profile of aquaculture needs to be raised higher for the sector to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s food security and economic gains.
11. Lastly, you are playing a key role once again in the organisation of the upcoming Aquaculture Africa 2024 Conference (AFRAQ24) scheduled for Tunisia in November 2024. What expectations do you have and what should we look forward to at this event?
Yes, I am in the AFRAQ24 Steering Committee – a decision making body for the Conference, working together with the WAS Conference Management. There is something for everyone at AFRAQ24 and I wish to encourage the Egyptian, African, Arab Union and global aquaculture community at large to register and come to Tunisia for this monumental event. Tunisia is one of the fastest growing aquaculture countries in Africa, and has many exciting things to look out for within its marine aquaculture sector, but also around its active support institutions. It is one of the leading countries in Africa and in the Mediterranean region when it comes to championing investments within the framework of the blue economy. We are anticipating a large exhibition platform.
I also believe Tunisia will be an attractive venue for many of our African Francophone and Arabic countries, but also for the large aquaculture community along the Mediterranean, Middle-East and European region. The AFRAQ24 programme is packed and covers developmental issues and the latest aquaculture research. The event will also be a meeting hub for developmental agencies, NGOs and institutions in Africa – where they can hold plenary talks, meetings, seminars, investment forums and satellite workshops on African aquaculture projects and activities. The programme has a component for student’s networking and aquaculture tours to exciting aquaculture facilities around Tunisia. There will be pre and post event touristic opportunities for those intending to explore the beauties of the Tunisian landscape. AFRAQ24 will undoubtedly be the place to be in November 2024! I hope to see many of you in Tunisia! Conference details are available on WAS website www.was.org
Interview with Dr. Sherif Sadek (Egypt) – President Emeritus, African Chapter – World Aquaculture Society
