Italian Trade Agency highlights business opportunities and technology collaboration in Eritrean fisheries and aquaculture sector
Eritrea aquaculture and fisheries sector is gaining international attention as a market with high growth potential, according to research presented by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) at AquaFarm 2026 in Pordenone. The workshop, held both in person and via live streaming, showcased opportunities for sustainable development and technology-driven innovation in the country’s marine and inland aquaculture.
The study provides a comprehensive framework for the sustainable development of the country’s fishery supply chain, highlighting over 800 freshwater reservoirs, 1,340 km of coastline, 360 islands in the Red Sea, 1,000 fish species, and high coral biodiversity. Experts emphasised that the country’s resources, combined with Italy’s technological expertise, offer strong potential for inclusive growth, business creation, and value chain enhancement.
The workshop brought together international experts, industry representatives, and government officials, including H.E. Fessahazion Pietros Menghistu, Eritrean Ambassador to Italy, and H.E. Alfonso Di Riso, Italian Ambassador in Eritrea. Contributions also came from Federpesca, Italian entrepreneurs with regional experience, and representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP).
Speakers highlighted key opportunities for technology transfer and innovation, particularly in improving production methods, traceability, and environmental sustainability in aquaculture. The event stressed that integrating fish farming with traditional fishing practices is crucial to meet growing domestic and regional demand for fish products, while supporting global food security and sustainable resource management.
According to Ike Olivotto, workshop moderator and professor at Marche Polytechnic University, “Cooperations are definitely successful if they become concrete. … If we want to guarantee global food security looking to the future, we can no longer consider individual oceans separately, but we must recognise that there is one single great sea”
The workshop also attracted an international audience from countries including Albania, Kenya, Morocco, and Tunisia, reflecting AquaFarm’s growing role as a platform for global aquaculture knowledge exchange.
