UHAS20184582

MBMB 412
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGENMENT
ASSIGNMENT I

Ghana’s Aquaculture Industry Set on a Recovery Path after a Blow.

Research conducted by Edwin Osafo a final year student of UHAS indicates that
after a decade of enormous growth in production in the aquaculture sector, Ghana's
tilapia farmers have been hit with severe obstacles and setbacks in the last two
years and those setbacks are due to disease whereby poor biosecurity measures are
exposing most farms to this tragedy.
He reported that, the aquaculture sector in Ghana plays a significant role in the
national economy which contributes about 3% to 5% to the (GDP) and provides
employment opportunities to the populace. Therefore, Ghana’s current fish
production from aquaculture is 52,470.49 metric tonnes a year. About 10 percent
of Ghana population is dependent on the aquaculture sector for their livelihood.
Despite the benefits, the researcher indicated that, the blow came with massive fish
kills on the lake Volta in 2018 as a result of an infectious disease outbreak. This
high fish mortality, according to him were caused by a new bacterial introduction
of the Streptococcus agalactiae whose DNA was found to be of Asian origin, as
well as a combination of bacteria with other parasitic pathogens. Again, in 2019 the
Volta River was again plagued by an Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus
(ISKNV), which continued to crash the industry. According to the Fisheries
Commission, as much as 150 tonnes of tilapia were lost by just one farm.
The researcher indicated that, due to these mortalities, farms were closed down by
regulators which had a severe impact on the industry and livelihoods of farmers.
The several unaffected farms were not spared of this heavy blow. However,
purchase and consumption of tilapia began to decline drastically. According to
him, the challenge being faced by the sector is a reminder of the importance of
biosecurity and biosafety, sustainability, sanitation and aquaculture management
measures.
He stated that, Ghana Aquaculture Association and other stakeholders engaged the
public and educated them to allay the fears of consumers, restore calm on the
market and also save the industry from total collapse. In the face of these
problems, he made it clear that, aquaculture is the best opportunity to bridge the
escalating gap between supply and demand for fish. He added that, for aquaculture
to register substantial growth and meet its potential, development of Ghana’s
aquaculture must be relooked.
He reported that, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is
leading an effort in helping small scale Tilapia farmers to promote the adoption of
best aquaculture management practices for increased productivity. Dubbed the
Ghana Tilapia Seed (TiSeed) project, IFPRI in collaboration with CSIR-Water
Research Institute, Fisheries Commission, KIT Royal Tropical Institute of
Netherlands and WorldFish has set off with a series of interventions geared
towards accelerating the development of the aquaculture industry in Ghana.
He concluded that, aquaculture is the beacon of hope to alleviate the burden of fish
shortages. He also made emphasises that, there is increased interest in aquaculture
most especially by the youth making the marine sector harbours the most lucrative
opportunities and should be given particular focus.