Akagera Fisheries Project – Rwanda
AKAGERA FISHERIES
The Akagera National Park in Rwanda (managed by African Parks) initiated a co-operative (co-op) fisheries project on Lake Gishanda, which lies just outside the park.
The park works alongside the local co-op to support the development of a commercial business model that identifies scalable aquaculture opportunities in the region. The project aims to benefit a minimum of 120 families within the co-op, as well as surrounding communities through income generation, employment opportunities and food security.
The CCFA invested R1.5 million into the Akagera Fisheries project in order to ensure that the goal the project aims to achieve will not be hindered by financial insufficiencies
Lake Gishanda was completely devoid of fish since the genocide experienced by the country in 1994, meaning that an important source of livelihood and income was expelled from its inhabitants. This Fisheries project is a beacon of hope for the people of Rwanda; as the fish introduced into the lake through the project started to breed, the resulting business scaled up and began to supply fish to the local hotel industry, including the Mantis Akagera Game Lodge. The business plan came to full fruition within a few years and the CCFA supported African Parks until this business became fully sustainable.
