Fish is the main source of protein for the people of Sao Tome and Principe, an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea over 200 km off the coast of Gabon. The fisheries sector provides jobs for thousands of people and represents the main important revenue source for low-income families after cocoa.
Fisheries in Sao Tome and Principe is exclusively artisanal and largely focused on small pelagics. The sector offers great potential for growth in terms of production, processing and marketing, but suffers from the country’s relative isolation, a major constraint in accessing export markets.
FISH4ACP aims to advance the processing and quality control standards of small pelagics to create jobs and income opportunities for the island's overwhelmingly young population. In addition, the species targeted represent a source of affordable and safe animal protein.
FISH4ACP works to overcome some of the complex challenges of post-harvest infrastructure to comply with national and international health requirements and open the value chain to new export markets, safeguarding aquatic resources for the benefit of communities that rely on them for their livelihoods and food security.
Photos
Sao Tome and Principe: strengthening coastal pelagic fisheries
06/11/2025
FISH4ACP aims to make the coastal pelagic fisheries of Sao Tome and Principe more profitable and sustainable to boost food and nutrition security,...
Videos
Stories
Getting credit for their work: Sao Tome and Principe’s fisher folk prove their worth to the banks
21/11/2025
Fishing plays a vital role in people’s lives and the economy in Sao Tome and Principe, a Small Island Developing State off the coast of Central Africa....
Publications
FISH4ACP Sao Tome and Principe
25/11/2021
Fact sheet on FISH4ACP's work to advance coastal pelagic fisheries on the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe.