It is somewhat unknown, but Ghana is not only the country of cocoa with Côte d’Ivoire, it is also that of fish. The population consumes 26 kilos per capita per year, making it the largest consumer in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Consumption of fish provides more than half of the animal protein intake of Ghanaians. But there is a shadow to the table: almost half of the 750,000 tonnes of fish consumed is imported.
Faced with the scarcity of resources at sea, which fell by half between 2000 and 2014, Ghana wants to develop aquaculture which, for the time being, provides only 12% of national production, or around 50,000 tonnes. . The country has strengths : a climate conducive to breeding, abundant quality water and strong agricultural production to supply the fish feed industry.
But aquaculture remains an auxiliary activity for farmers who do not see it as a business. According to a 2012 study by the Ministry of Agriculture, the sector is mainly made up of small artisanal structures and only seven fish farms were considered to be commercial level.
On December 10, 2021, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development gave the groundwork for the construction of a specialized center. Both a training center and a commercial fish farm, the project, costing nearly ten million dollars, should be operational in early 2023. It intends to train 300 fish farmers in five years and produce 50,000 tonnes of fish by this time. of its basins.
Currently, breeding is interested in two species, catfish and tilapia. But production is hampered by two problems. On the one hand, fish farmers find it difficult to obtain supplies of standardized pellets. The best qualities are imported from South America, Asia, at high prices. And small fish farms are turning to local production based on palm oil and cassava peelings, low in nutrients, which is impacting yields.
On the other hand, tilapia fry are rare and therefore expensive. A single fry can cost 40% of the selling price of adult fish. A lack of profitability which slows down the development of breeding farms. In this area, Ghana is implementing a program to produce low-cost, low-cost fingerlings all year round. The objective is to reduce the price of a fry to between 2 and 7% of the selling price of adult fish.
The other axis of development is based on catfish farming. A star of aquaculture in neighboring Nigeria, the catfish can also conquer Ghana. It is particularly well suited to mass production with little means. A modest pond the size of a private swimming pool can produce 150 kilograms of fish per cubic meter every six months. It can therefore be raised on the outskirts of towns near markets.
FAO relies heavily on aquaculture to protect people from malnutrition. 2022 has been declared the year of artisanal fisheries and aquaculture.