Ghana is targeting annual fish exports worth $1 billion within the next four years

nWhen Gladys Asmah was appointed to head Ghana’s newly established Ministry of Fisheries almost two years ago, she ordered a survey into the state of the nation’s fisheries industry. The results were, in her words, “staggering and startling.” For while Ghana’s fish consumption requirement is 720,000 metric tons (mt), the annual fish harvest or supply is just 400,000 mt – a shortfall of 320,000 mt.
Almost 10 per cent of the population is involved in the industry, yet it accounts for just 3-5 per cent of agricultural GDP. In fact, although fish is Ghana’s most important traditional export, earning between $100-150 million a year, the country actually spends more – $400 million a year – importing fish.

“Ghanaians rely on fish for 65 per cent of their protein, so to us fish is very important,” says Mrs Asmah. “We want to make sure that we can put plenty on the plate cheaper, and be able to export as well.”

She is in no doubt that Ghana has the potential to turn the fortunes of the fisheries industry around and, after a decline in 2005, the main focus of the industry, marine fishing, is showing signs of recovery, growing by an estimated 3.6 per cent last year.

Mrs Asmah believes that Ghana could earn a lot more from the ready markets in the EU and the US for its whole, loin and canned tuna, frozen fish, shrimp, lobster, cuttlefish, and dried and smoked fish. “We are targeting annual exports of $1 billion of fish within four years,” she says.

The fisheries industry has suffered from low investment. The biggest problem has been the outdated fleet – from trawlers to the canoes used by artisanal fishermen. Plans have been drawn up to modernise the nation’s fishing vessels and equip them for deep-sea fishing. Dugout wooden canoes are being cladded with fibre glass or replaced with new boats.

“We are trying to modernise the whole fishing industry,” says the minister. “We want to make sure that we equip the fishermen properly so they can bring in good catches.”

Safe new landing sites are being constructed and refrigeration and cold storage facilities provided to prevent wasteful post harvest losses, which have been estimated at anything up to 30 per cent.

GLADYS ASMAH Minister of Fisheries

Mrs Asmah particularly emphasises the importance of tuna fishing. Ghana is one of the world’s major tuna producing countries, but the minister says that lack of care and attention to the industry has cost the nation billions of dollars over the last 25 years. A number of foreign companies and investors have now agreed to partner Ghana in setting up tuna processing factories under a public-private partnership agreement.

The fulcrum of the ministry’s fisheries policy, however, is the development of aquaculture, to provide for both domestic consumption and export. With 10 per cent of its land surface covered by water, Ghana is eminently well suited to fish farming.

A crash development programme has led to the construction of 15,000 new ponds to add to the existing 4,000 fish ponds and cages, and the number of fish farmers has increased from around 1,200 to about 5,000. Last year, the total surface water under aquaculture more than doubled from 231 hectares in 2005 to 508 hectares, exceeding the government’s target. Tilapia and catfish are being cultivated and other species are also being looked at. “We want to be one of the big exporters of tilapia, and it can be done,” says Mrs Asmah. Ghanaian tilapia is brute stock – carrying the original genetic makeup of the species.

Delegations have been sent abroad to recruit experts from countries like Israel and China to help with training programmes, and modern hatcheries are being established to provide fish farmers with good quality fish fingerlings.

“If we get the foundations right, aquaculture could become a very strong resource for Ghana,” the minister says. “If we can encourage more Ghanaians to go into it, the sky’s the limit. We want investors to come and help us.”