Guidelines on aquaculture soon

The Ministry of  Fisheries and Aquaculture Development   is  developing a National Aquaculture  Guidelines  and Code of  Practice to  set minimum standards  for operators  in the aquaculture value chain and also prevent any possible negative impact of   aquaculture  on the environment .

Part of the guidelines   will include the  minimum size of  fish to be sold as  fingerlings, minimum distances  between farms  to avoid  spread  of diseases and safeguard  investment  and  also ensure  minimum  amount  of  dust or smaller  particles  to be contained  in a fish feed. 

The minister,Mr Nayon Bilijo, stressed that ‘in fact every aspect of fish farming would be comprehensively covered  in the guidelines  to help provide  good, safe ,hygienic  fish food for the populace’.  

The Minister who  was addressing the first Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Aquaculture Association (GAA) at Akosombo, therefore, appealed to operators in the fish farming industry to comply  with the regulations of the implementing agencies.

He explained that  destruction of  water bodies by galamsey operators  was of concern and, therefore,  would not encourage fish farmers to disobey the rules.

Mr Bilijo announced that the implementing agencies include the  Fisheries Commission which would set the standards  required to make aquaculture sustainable  while  the Environmental Protection  Agency   would ensure  that the aquaculture  had no detrimental effect  on the environment. 

He commended them for forming a unified front to fight for their needs  and called on them to continue to be together avoiding any splinter groups 

Members  appealed to the  government to  commit funds to develop  marketing  systems and structures for  small and  big  producers  of  the industry .

According to them, though the  Ghana National Aquaculture  Development  Plan (GNADP)  targets production of 100,000 metric tons of farmed fish  per annum , yet the industry in Ghana was able to produce  30,000 metric tons which they were not able to sell .

The imported tilapia,  according to the fish farmers  were bigger in size and sold cheaply.

The Chairman of the  Association , Mr Jacob Ainoo- Ansah,   attributed the  inability of members to sell  their fish to the influx of an alleged  cheap and seemingly bigger  tilapia into the country .

He said ‘we are immediately concerned with illegal  importation of fish into the country’. 

 Mr Ainoo-Ansah,  therefore, called for support from the government to open up the industry to become competitive .

A major producer of fish feed , Raanan Fish Feed Limited  organised a workshop for the  fish farmers  as part of the general meeting . 

The  Commercial  Director  and Aquaculture expert  at the Raanan  Fish Feed Producers , Mr Jacques Magnee,  took members through  fish farm management  to achieve good quality fingerlings  and how they could  solve major challenges in the industry.

Mr Magnee advised  the fish farmers to improve on performance to lower cost of production in order to be more competitive and rather increase production  and benefits.