The Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mr Abdul-Aziz Musah Ayaba, has disclosed that the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ) initiative has successfully trained 2,171 small to medium-scale fish farmers and young individuals in advanced aquaculture production techniques.
He stated that the initiative aims to increase domestic fish production and create decent jobs along the aquaculture value chain.
He noted that the AFJ initiative has extended support to 15 public institutions and 50 youth groups, including the James Camp Prison.
The assistance comprises the distribution of 524,500 fingerlings, 18,049 bags of fish feed and 2,418 fishponds, tanks and cages to enhance aquaculture production.
He said this at the 2024 Aquaculture Ghana event organised by the Chamber of Aquaculture in Accra last Thursday.
He described the theme for the event: “Stakeholders Collaboration – A Key to Building a Resilient and Strong Aquaculture” as very appropriate since it aligns with the Fisheries Ministry’s recent development of the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (GNADP) for 2024-2028.
The plan is set to contribute significantly to the production, marketing, social acceptance and environmental sustainability of the aquaculture sub-sector, thereby promoting food and nutrition security, poverty reduction, as well as job and wealth creation.
Mr Ayaba said the GNADP was a comprehensive roadmap for the progress of aquaculture in Ghana to improve practices, management and sustainability.
He noted the remarkable growth of the aquaculture industry in recent years, with fish production soaring from 52,470.49 metric tons in 2016 to 132,652.39 metric tons in 2022 a 159% increase over six years.
“Tilapia remains the dominant species, accounting for 80.5% of production, while catfish makes up 19.5%. Cage production is the most popular method, yielding approximately 106,736 metric tons, with catfish production at 25,915 metric tons,” he said
In terms of fingerling production, the Deputy Minister reported a significant surge from 178.9 million in 2016 to 615.8 million in 2023.
“This growth is backed by 108 operational hatcheries, including six public and 102 private facilities,” he added.