GHANA – The European Union (EU) in partnership with the local government arms have launched a US$1.27 million Fish for Development Project (FIDEP) in Adentan, Ghana, that seeks to promote growth in the value chain.
According to a report by GhanaWeb, the EU will be funding 70% of the project while the Adentan Municipal Assembly, the Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) and the Local Governance Network (LoGNet) as implementers will fund 30%.
FIDEP will involve construction of a demonstration centre at the Amrahia Dairy Farms, fish cages, fish hatchery, and a cottage-based processing centre to facilitate the building of capacity for prospective beneficiaries.
Speaking during the launch of the project, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah the deputy minister for Local Government said that the project is key in developing the aquaculture sector in the region and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Additionally, Mr Nii-Noi Adumuah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE)
of the Adentan Municipal Assembly said it the project is also expected to
contribute to food self-uffiiency as wll as address unemployment challenges in
te region.
The project will be implemented under a 40 months period and is expected to
offer to more than 1,200 employment opportunities along the vale chain.
However, stakeholders in the sector have cited challenges in technical
capacity and high cost of quality fish feed as major challenges that need to be
addressed in order to promote sustainability in the economically viable
venture.
Madam Diana Acconcia, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, said the project was selected
during the call for proposal on the basis of its viability and sustainability adding
that the project will create demonstration to train more interested individuals.
She highlighted that the project will focus on equiping small scale aquaculture farmers the skills and tools to scale up their ventures for profitability and sustenance of the value chain.
The project comes as a boost to Ghana’s fishing industry which according to Naa Afoley Quaye, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, is in the vurge of collapsing due to fast depletion of fish stocks.
According to data from according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) data, the fishing industry currently contributes 1.2% of the country’s GDP, a decline from 3% in 2006.
The country has however adopted intervention to protect the sector which include implementation of annual closed seasons with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
