South Africa's Aquaculture Research Landscape: Priorities, Challenges, and What Comes Next

In this episode, we sit down with two of South Africa's leading aquaculture researchers and research managers to take stock of where the sector stands and where it needs to go.Dr. Cliff Jones is a researcher at the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University, with 25 years of experience developing aquaculture technologies in close collaboration with industry. Andrea Bernatzeder is the Director of Aquaculture Innovation and Technology Development at South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment.The conversation covers how South Africa prioritises aquaculture research, the case for stakeholder-driven science over ivory tower research, and what it takes for new technologies to actually reach the ground. They dig into the troubles facing the abalone industry, the lessons from Egypt's tilapia sector and South Korea's seaweed industry, and why socioeconomics is now just as important as the biology. They also debate how much research focus should go to supporting existing industries versus developing new ones, and what a more strategic, consolidated approach to aquaculture development in South Africa could look like.This episode was produced in partnership with the LIMAQUA programme.