GHANA – Fish farming is booming in Togo with the domestic aquaculture output increasing by more than 57% in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Maritime Economy.
In 2020 the country’s annual fish production was recorded at 730 tonnes and the value increased to 1151 tonnes in 2022, reflecting a 57% growth.
This growth has been recorded at a time when the government is investing to support local aquaculture through the supply of equipment to fish farmers in the local communities.
“This rapid growth in aquaculture production is a clear indicator of the success of the state’s strategy to support aquaculture, and provides economic and development opportunities for aquaculturists and local communities,” said a spokesperson from the ministry.
Sustainable Oceans project kickstarts in Ghana
Meanwhile in Ghana, stakeholders are pooling together for the implementation of a three-year Sustainable Oceans project focused on improve the country’s fishing sector.
The Environmental Justice Foundation, Friends of the Nation and the Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association are spearheading the project funded by the Norwegian Agency for development and corporation.
The project is anticipated to help reduce the depletion of fish stocks, improve the income for residents in coastal communities and boost climate change resilience on the country’s fisheries resources.
About 20,000 fish farmers from the four coastal regions Greater Accra, Central, Western and Volta along the Ghanaian coastline are targeted by the Sustainable Oceans Project.
During the launching ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mr Moses Anim, communicated that the blue economy plays a crucial role in employment creation and contributes to the gross domestic product as well as foreign exchange earnings.
The stakeholders in the Ghanaian fisheries value chain make up about 10% of the entire population making sustaining the marine resources crucial for the economic development of the country.
According to the Project Coordinator and Fisheries Programme Manager at the Environmental Justice Foundation, Mr Theophilus Boachie-Yiadom, the project will create opportunities within the fisheries value sector, promote enterprise development and enhance income resilience.
More than 5,000 artisanal fishers will be trained in fisheries management while 600 processors would be engaged in value addition and hygienic handling of fish products, as communicated by Boachie-Yiadom.
Officials from the navy, marine police, prosecutors and judges will also be equipped with technical input from national legal experts to help support the effective enforcement of fisheries laws.
Journalists will also be trained on how to report on the fisheries sector in an accurate and timely manner and the coastal community members trained to protect mangrove vegetation.
For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
