Accra: Madam Emelia Arthur, the Minister-designate for the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), has emphasized the importance of enhancing aquaculture in Ghana to meet the protein needs of its citizens. Aquaculture serves as an essential supplement due to the depletion of the country's marine and inland fish resources.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Arthur highlighted that fisheries currently provide 60 percent of the protein intake for Ghanaians. However, with diminishing fish resources, there is a critical need to bolster aquaculture efforts to address this shortfall. During her vetting by the Appointment Committee of Parliament, she outlined her strategy to support and facilitate funding for aquaculture operations across the country.
Currently, Ghana hosts only six large-scale, 14 medium-scale, and 2,300 small-scale aquaculture farms. Madam Arthur aims to support these operators by directing and facilitating necessary funding. Acknowledging the high cost of aquaculture feed due to imported components, she assured that MoFAD would collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to boost local production of vital feed ingredients like maize and soya beans.
Madam Arthur also emphasized the importance of investing in research, particularly concerning aquaculture-related diseases. She assured that the government is committed to creating job opportunities and prospects for young people in the aquaculture sector.
