We have already reached in six months what we did in all of 2025
After nearly two years of contraction, Rwanda's fishing sector has returned with striking force — production grew 66 percent in the first quarter of 2026, a figure that speaks not merely to economic recovery but to the patient work of rebuilding a food system from its foundations. Driven by tilapia cage aquaculture, private capital, and government programs that reached farmers at the water's edge, the sector's value more than doubled in a single year to Rwf27 billion. Rwanda is not simply catching more fish; it is rethinking how a landlocked nation feeds itself, and the lakes are answering.
- A sector that shrank for nearly two years — hitting a 10 percent contraction in late 2023 — has now swung to 66 percent growth, one of the sharpest reversals in Rwanda's recent agricultural history.
- Tilapia cage aquaculture is the engine of the surge, with private investors pouring capital into hatcheries and feed supply while the government's Kwihaza Project trains farmers and opens credit lines.
- Illegal fishing had been quietly strangling the recovery — undersized nets trapping immature sardines before they could breed — and enforcement crackdowns are now letting fish stocks rebuild naturally.
- One company, Kivu Choice, already produces 800 metric tonnes of fish per month and is targeting a jump from 9,000 to 30,000 tonnes annually by 2029, backed by $15 million in new financing.
- Rwanda's per capita fish consumption of 7.2 kg still falls short of the 10 kg threshold considered sufficient for basic health, but the national strategy's targets — 106,000 tonnes by 2035 — are designed to close that gap.
Rwanda's fishing sector has staged one of its most dramatic reversals on record. For nearly two years beginning in late 2022, the industry contracted — shrinking by as much as 10 percent in a single quarter. Recovery began quietly in mid-2024, then gathered speed through 2025, quarter by quarter, until the first three months of 2026 delivered 66 percent growth. The sector's value jumped from Rwf13 billion a year earlier to Rwf27 billion.
The turnaround rests on several pillars. Tilapia cage aquaculture on Rwanda's major lakes has expanded rapidly, supported by better hatcheries, improved feed, and the government's Kwihaza Project, which has provided farmers with training, credit access, and stronger management practices. Authorities have also cracked down on illegal fishing nets — smaller-mesh gear that trapped immature sardines before they could reproduce — allowing wild stocks to recover alongside farmed production.
The human scale of the change is visible on the water. One cage farmer nearly matched his entire 2025 output in just the first half of 2026. A sardine fisherman in Rubavu District has doubled his daily catch since enforcement tightened. And Kivu Choice, the country's largest tilapia producer, is expanding from 9,000 to a targeted 30,000 tonnes annually by 2029, backed by $15 million in new financing and plans to grow its workforce from 700 to 1,200.
Rwanda's ambitions reach further still. The National Aquaculture Strategy envisions more than 106,000 tonnes of annual production by 2035, enough to raise per capita consumption from 7.2 kilogrammes today toward the 9.8 kilogrammes targeted for that year — and closer to the 10 kilogrammes considered a basic health threshold. The global average remains 16.6 kilogrammes. Rwanda is still working toward sufficiency, but the direction is no longer in doubt.
Rwanda's fishing sector has staged a remarkable turnaround. In the first three months of 2026, production surged 66 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, when growth had stood at 22 percent. The numbers tell a story of an industry that nearly collapsed, then clawed its way back to health.
For nearly two years, from late 2022 through mid-2024, Rwanda's fisheries contracted. Growth had slowed to zero by the third quarter of 2022, then turned negative. By the final quarter of 2023, the sector was shrinking at a rate of 10 percent. The damage was real and sustained. But recovery began to take hold in the second half of 2024, when growth returned to positive territory. By the fourth quarter of that year, it had accelerated to 12 percent. The momentum built throughout 2025—22 percent in the first quarter, 18 percent in the second, 34 percent in the third, and 54 percent in the fourth. The first quarter of 2026 marked the peak so far at 66 percent.
The sector's economic footprint has grown accordingly. Its value climbed from Rwf11 billion in the first quarter of 2024 to Rwf13 billion a year later, then jumped to Rwf27 billion in the first quarter of 2026. According to Cécile Uwizeyimana, an aquaculture specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the expansion has been driven primarily by tilapia cage aquaculture on Rwanda's major lakes. Private investors have poured capital into large-scale hatcheries, improving the supply of quality fingerlings for producers. Access to better fish feed has improved as well, leading to stronger growth rates and higher yields. The government's Kwihaza Project has supported farmers through training, improved practices, better access to credit, and strengthened farm management. Technical assistance and capacity-building have enhanced efficiency and sustainability. Simultaneously, authorities have intensified efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, protecting fish stocks and supporting long-term production.
The data reveals a sector shifting its foundation. Between 2000 and 2024, aquaculture production grew at an average annual rate of 16.6 percent, compared with 7.9 percent for traditional capture fisheries. But from 2022 to 2024, aquaculture accelerated to 21.5 percent per year, while capture fisheries grew by just 3.1 percent. Tilapia has been the dominant species driving aquaculture gains, though capture fisheries have also contributed, particularly through increased sardine production from Lake Kivu.
Private operators are betting heavily on continued expansion. Emmanuel Bahizi, managing director of Kivu Choice, reported that his company increased production by more than 30 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and expects another 46 percent jump in the second quarter. The operation now produces approximately 800 metric tonnes of fish each month, accounting for more than half of Rwanda's farmed fresh fish. Kivu Choice aims to grow from 9,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes annually by 2029 while expanding its workforce from 700 to 1,200 employees. The company's parent, Victory Group, recently secured $15 million in financing from AgDevCo to expand tilapia operations in Rwanda and Kenya.
Farmers working the lakes have felt the change firsthand. Themistocles Munyangeyo, who raises tilapia in floating cages on Lakes Kivu and Muhazi, said production has climbed sharply. His farm produced 1,950 tonnes in 2025. In just the first six months of 2026, it had already reached 1,600 tonnes—nearly matching the entire previous year. Issa Gahimana, a sardine fisherman from Rubavu District on Lake Kivu, described a similar shift. He used to catch about 10 kilogrammes per day; now he regularly brings in 20 kilogrammes. He attributes the improvement to crackdowns on illegal fishing nets, which had been trapping immature sardines before they could breed. Legal nets now use a mesh size of 9 to 10 millimetres, while illegal nets with smaller openings—5.4 or 4.3 millimetres—catch young fish and disrupt reproduction cycles.
The government has set ambitious targets. Rwanda aims to increase national fish production from approximately 10,000 metric tonnes in 2024-25 to 30,000 metric tonnes by 2029. The National Aquaculture Strategy, running through 2035, envisions aquaculture as the country's primary fish source, targeting nearly 80,000 tonnes of sustainable production. Overall, Rwanda could produce more than 106,000 tonnes of fish annually by 2035—roughly 80,620 tonnes from aquaculture and 26,000 tonnes from capture fisheries. These gains are intended to raise per capita fish consumption from about 7.2 kilogrammes in 2025 to 9 kilogrammes by 2030 and 9.8 kilogrammes by 2035. The global average stands at 16.6 kilogrammes per person per year; around 10 kilogrammes is considered sufficient for basic health benefits. Rwanda is still working toward that threshold, but the trajectory suggests it may get there.
Citas Notables
The rapid growth of Rwanda's aquaculture sector demonstrates what is possible when innovation, investment and a strong commitment to food security come together.— Emmanuel Bahizi, Managing Director of Kivu Choice
Illegal nets trap immature sardines before they can reproduce, disrupting the species' breeding cycle and threatening long-term fish stocks.— Issa Gahimana, fisherman from Rubavu District
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What pulled the sector out of its two-year collapse? Was it a single policy shift, or did multiple things have to align?
It was multiple things. The government invested in hatcheries so farmers could get quality fingerlings. They improved access to fish feed. They trained farmers in better practices. But the private sector also moved in—companies like Kivu Choice saw opportunity and capital followed. And they started enforcing rules against illegal fishing, which had been destroying fish stocks.
The illegal fishing piece is interesting. How does that actually work? Why does it matter so much?
Illegal nets have smaller mesh sizes—they catch immature fish before they can reproduce. That breaks the breeding cycle. When you stop that, the fish population recovers, and legal fishermen suddenly have more to catch. One fisherman went from 10 kilogrammes a day to 20. That's not just better income; it's a healthier lake.
So enforcement is as important as investment?
It seems to be. You can build all the hatcheries you want, but if wild stocks are collapsing, you're fighting upstream. The two have to work together.
The targets are enormous—from 10,000 tonnes to 106,000 tonnes by 2035. Is that realistic?
The growth rate so far suggests it's possible. Aquaculture has been growing at 21.5 percent annually since 2022. If that holds, the numbers work. But it depends on continued investment, continued enforcement, and continued government support. One company is already producing 800 tonnes a month. Scale that up across the country, and you get there.
What does this mean for ordinary Rwandans?
Right now, the average person eats about 7 kilogrammes of fish per year. The target is 9.8 kilogrammes by 2035. That's more protein, more affordable protein if production scales. It's food security. It's also jobs—one company is hiring from 700 to 1,200 workers.