Ms. Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Deputy Minister in charge of Fisheries and
Aquaculture says a major breakthrough has been made in the fisheries
industry to expand production and combat illegal, unprotected and
unregulated fishing in the country.
To that end, she said the fisheries amendment regulation (LI 2217)
2015 had been reviewed to give meaning to the fisheries amendment Act
2014, (Act 880) for the two amendments to help regulate the fishing
industry.
Ms Ayittey was speaking at the 31st edition of the National Farmers
Day celebration in Bolgatanga in the upper East Region, celebrated on
the theme, “Transform Ghana, Invest in Agriculture”.
She said for the country to achieve the sustainable management of
fishery resources, it was incumbent on all stakeholders to help protect
the sector as the livelihoods of more than 2.4 million people depends on
that sector.
She said fish capture, processing, marketing and associated services
constituted a significant source of livelihood, with the sector
generating over US$1billion each year and accounting for at least 4.5
per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Ms Ayittey said with dwindling catches in the traditional way of
fishing, aquaculture provides an alternative to fish production and
offers economic opportunities. Therefore her outfit has initiated
programmes in that direction to help enhance and sustain fish
production.
She said more than 126 million fingerlings were produced this year,
out of a target of 150 million, which boosted aquaculture production
from 38,547metric tonnes in 2014 to 46,250 metric tonnes in 2015, an
increase of 20 per cent. This helped to reduce fish imports from
145,910.3 metric tonnes in 2014 to 102,874.95 metric tonnes in 2015, the
Minister added.
Ms Ayttey indicated that the zonation of the Volta Lake into feasible
aquaculture production areas was 65 per cent complete which would help
attract private sector investment.
Source: GNA
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