Prospects and sustainability of aquaculture development in Ghana, West Africa

Fish is the most preferred and widely consumed animal protein in Ghana, with annual per capita consumption estimated at 26 kg compared with the global average of 20 kg. The fisheries sector of Ghana provides livelihood support to 2.4 million people and contribute 1.5% to the nation’s gross domestic product. Recent increase in fish production is attributed to aquaculture and culture-based fisheries. However, the aquaculture sector is facing a challenge of sustainability. This study was aimed at identifying and examing the prospects of sustainable aquaculture development in Ghana using the Sunyani Fisheries Zone as a case study. Specifically, the following questions were asked: what are the important factors for aquaculture development for both the operational and non-operational farmer? What are the climatological and environmental factors that pose threat to aquaculture development? To what extent does water, human and financial resources affect the sustainability of aquaculture development in Ghana? The methods employed for data collection were; farm survey and interviews with aquafarmers, document analysis, and fish farm observation. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that market establishment, affordability of feed and funding for farmers are the important areas for aquaculture growth. Changing weather patterns and related disasters like floods, droughts, and erosions have negatively impacted on the aquaculture industry and, have reduced its production and profitability. Poor pond effluent management also poses an ecological threat through introduction of non-native species. It is recommended that Policy makers, Fisheries Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant stakeholders should give urgent attention to the constraints in order to sustain the industry of Ghana.