The coastal city of Bizerta, Tunisia, recently set up eight new aquaculture projects with funding grants.

Three shellfish farming projects in the Bizerta lake and two fish dams are among the new projects implemented. With a total budget of more than TND21 million (US$15 million), these projects will create 122 direct jobs and produce about 1,500 tonnes of fish and shellfish annually.

The fisheries sector in Bizerta currently generates 5,872 permanent jobs and its annual production includes an average of 5,000 to 6,500 tonnes of fish, 160 tonnes of mussels and 90 tonnes of oysters.

Tunisia's fish exports totalled 20,000 tonnes in 2009, of which mainly were cephalopods (octopus and cuttlefish), crustaceans (shrimps and prawns) and fresh fish (tuna), according to the Interprofessional Grouping of the Fishery Products (GIPP).

Last year, Africa's overall fish production reached around 994,000 tonnes, a relative decline compared to 2008 levels of 1,005,000 tonnes.