The Pan-African Organization for Sustainable Development (POSDEV) has called for increased investment in aquaculture to increase fish production in the country.
POSDEV is an organization which seeks to strengthen the capacity of Farmer Based Organization (FBO’s) to advocate, through its project “Promoting aquaculture development and policy implementation accountability through empowerment of fishery-based Organization s” in the East Akim Municipality and Asuogyaman District.
The three months Agriculture Policy Support project being funded by the USAID started from September 2015 and would end on December 2015.
Addressing the press, Mr Isaac Abrokwa, Principal Technical Director, POSDEV said, the project was designed to benefit at least 120 fisheries-based organization members.
He said the project was expected to address problems associated with aquaculture development, including the knowledge gap in aquaculture and for the FBO’s to understand the national fisheries and aquaculture policy, plan, and laws.
Mr Abrokwa indicated that, “galamsey operators” incessant water pollution of the rivers and streams has caused fish from the rivers to be extinct and has resulted in drastic reduction in fish related protein that has serious repercussion on nutrition and health.
He said a total of 26 fishery-based organizations were contacted during the period, with 10 local based groups from the East Akim and 16 from the Asuogyaman District, which included cage and fish pond operators.
He hinted that aquaculture has the potential of providing employment and income opportunities for all including the youth and called for the need to train more fish doctors in the sector.
Mr Abrokwa said in order to progress in the industry; laws on the operations of foreigners in the Ghanaian aquaculture industry should be enforced, whilst guaranteed prices on fish for the market should be established.
He added that the capacity of local farmers must be enhance to compete with foreign fishermen as well as support the FBO’s to establish feed mills to produce local fish feed to reduce the high cost of feed.
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