George Williams is a fish farmer and organizer of the Akosombo Fish Farmers Association in Ghana.
Ghana’s government recently announced a goal of doubling the country’s aquaculture output to 100,000 metric tons, seeking both food security and added jobs through an expansion of the sector. The government sees aquaculture as a means to meet growing demand in the region for seafood and ease pressure on depleted wild fish stocks.
In the past, a shortage of feed, seeds, and capital have been major barriers to growth for Ghana’s predominantly small-scale aquaculture sector. But an influx of foreign investors is creating hope amongst Williams and his colleagues that aquaculture in the West African nation is set for sustained growth.
Even as it remains a top exporter of fish – primarily tilapia – to Ghana, China is becoming a major player in setting up local catfish and tilapia farms, Williams told SeafoodSource.
SeafoodSource: What has government been doing to promote aquaculture?
Williams: Government has a fisheries sector initiative called “Fish Farming for Food and Jobs” as part of its “Planting for Food and Jobs” agenda and its goal is to intensify and expand aquaculture operations in Ghana, while taking into consideration all the inherent jobs in the value chain of aquaculture. The result of this will be increased production, as well as value addition through the creation of systems and more jobs.
SeafoodSource: What do you think are the most important steps the Ghanaian government can take to promote aquaculture?
Williams: Existing water body laws must be enforced through sensitization and advocacy exercises that highlight the need to preserve the environment and protect the ecology of aquatic life. Group permits from regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Commission, and the Fisheries Commission must be accessible and easy to obtain by peasant farmers to ensure responsible aquaculture. This is because it is the operations of peasant farmers that proliferate in the lake system, and at the same time have the tendencies towards ill practices. The few big investments owned by multi-national companies in this industry in Ghana abide strictly by regulatory permits, which are very expensive to obtain.
SeafoodSource: Which are the main foreign enterprises you are referring to?
Williams: Lee Farms, Sun-Woo Farms, Tropo Farms, West Africa Farms, Crystal Lake Farms, Triton, Huawei Farms, Fujian Farms, Maleka Farms, just to mention some.
SeafoodSource: Is the target of 100,000 metric tons of production per year, as suggested by Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, feasible?
Williams: Yes, this milestone is achievable through intensification and expansion of aquaculture.
SeafoodSource: Has the two-month fishing ban brought in by Ghana’s government had any impact in terms of starting new aquaculture projects?
Williams: In the short-term, no, but it will in the long-run, since the two-month ban is a fallow period for breeding of various species in the ecology of both sea and fresh water. Hence, a fish boom should be the expected outcome after the ban for artisanal or capture fisheries. Mariculture, or fish-farming in the sea, could be an alternative avenue for exploitation in Ghana and the entire sub-region to ensure diversification into other species. Smart fishermen can therefore adopt aquaculture as a source to augment their operations and revenues during the ban period. Also, a strategic collaboration among neighboring countries like Togo, Ivory Coast, and Ghana is necessary to protect all, since a ban in one country without a ban in the others will not yield the expected impact.
SeafoodSource: Is there much progress towards that kind of strategic cooperation?
Williams: Not to the best of my knowledge.
SeafoodSource: Which species would work best in Ghana’s aquaculture plans?
Williams: Tilapia, catfish, and hetrotis [African bonytongue].
SeafoodSource: Can small-scale Ghanaian fish farmers compete with imports, given the low price of tilapia from China?
Williams: Yes, the main bane or major challenge facing the aquaculture industry in Ghana is seed and feed. Hence, with the availability of good-quality fingerlings and locally produced feed, Ghana has more than what it takes to match China boot-to-boot. Currently, China is a producer of feed, whereas Ghana is not.
SeafoodSource: What companies do Ghanaian farmers source from currently?
Williams: Multi-national companies with plants in Asia, Europe, and South America, such as Aller Aqua, Coppens, Ranaan, Nicolumzi, Aquafeed, and Huawei, just to mention a few. Local production of feed would cut down drastically on the cost of aquaculture input, which is relatively expensive now, as most feed is imported.
SeafoodSource: Approximately what percentage of seed is currently imported and from where?
Williams: Currently, there is a ban on the importation of seed, [and] seed production is restricted to a very few selected hatcheries.
SeafoodSource: What is the most urgent need in order to advance aquaculture development in Ghana?
Williams: A standard processing plant with equipment for optimum services and cold-chain facilities is a potential investment area, with the potential to create a massive number of jobs for various classes of people, skilled and unskilled. And continuous research in areas of genetic improvement is a major key to the sustainability of the industry.
SeafoodSource: How will genetic improvement reduce the need for imported feed?
Williams: Genetic improvement will ensure the introduction of fast-growing fingerlings.
Photo courtesy of George Williams
