Tiseed Project Dissemination Workshop

Ghana is West-Africa’s top producer of tilapia. Growth in Ghana’s aquaculture sector is being driven mainly by large-scale cage tilapia farming in Lake Volta. Tilapia contributes over 77% of cultured fish production, the second being African catfish at 22%. Unfortunately, participation of, women, and youth in this rapidly growing value chain is very limited. About 95% of active fish farms in all regions of Ghana are pond farms, which are mainly located in rural areas. Many of these rural fish producers are small scale farmers and use fish farming to supplement other livelihoods and incomes. However, lack of access to quality fish seed, feed, and good management practices result in low productivity and profitability. The Tilapia Seed (TiSeed) Project team, observed a critical need to study, understand and strengthen the seed distribution system and test strategies to improve access to quality seed, adoption of good management practices, productivity and profitability among small scale fish farmers in Ghana. TiSeed project, therefore, complemented government’s effort to improve productivity and profitability of fish farming, particularly supporting small-scale farmers and youth employment in the sector, through Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ) initiative.

After 3 years of implementation, TiSeed project, came to an end imparting long-lasting impacts for inclusive and sustainable aquaculture in Ghana. On 19^th September 2022, the project team led by Dr. Catherine Ragasa (Senior Research Fellow – IFPRI) organized an end of project workshop and launch of the Fish Farm Tracker® (a mobile application for fish farm management and marketing developed by the project) in Accra. This workshop was to disseminate findings from the project to stakeholders. The objective of the project was to improve the quality and service level of public and private hatcheries and increase access to and adoption of high-quality fish seed and good aquaculture practices among new or existing farmers, with specific attention on women and youth. The workshop was attended by key industry players and representatives from government ministries, development partners, research institutions and academia, civil society, farmer associations and the media.

In a welcome address read on his behalf by Dr. Anthony Karikari, the Deputy Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Water Research Institute (WRI) indicated that “the TiSeed project came at a time where the tilapia seed system has been compromised by industry players giving rise to dissemination and use of poor quality fish seed, resulting in poor economic gains, loss of jobs and a threat to food and nutrition security”.

Madam Patricia Safo, the CEO of Crystal Lake Ltd., a hatchery operator, and a project partner said “the TiSeed project has been very critical to the sector, and it came at the right time to help the industry”. This was emphasized by Mr. Godfred Alimo, the General Manager of S-HOINT Fish Ltd., and a project partner, who indicated that the project came at the right time to support tilapia seed production. He also stressed the need to improve on the current generation of the Nile tilapia strain to curtail the illegal infiltration of foreign tilapia strains into the country.

Mr. Ishmael Adjei Browne, who launched the Fish Farm Tracker App on behalf of the Sector Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development said, “the Mobile App and knowledge gained from the project would help boost the sector significantly.” He stressed the need to utilize data generated by the App within the confines of the Data Protection Act.

In a statement presented on behalf of the Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission by Mrs. Jennifer Viglo, a Senior Manager expressed his appreciation to the TiSeed project for removing some of the bottlenecks in the development of aquaculture by proving technical knowledge and skills to hatchery operators and farmers as well as improving the quality and survival of tilapia seed through promotion and adoption of their research findings among farmers, developing of relevant fish farming manuals to guide farmers, and enhancing the capacity of some staff of the Commission.

Prof. Francis Nunoo, Board chairman of Fisheries Commission who chaired the workshop, in his closing remarks said, “the project outcomes demonstrate the potential of research in contributing to national development”. He further stated that he is in full support of the national protocols for the certification of aquaculture facilities, developed under the project, and that the project and its outputs is a good example of effective collaboration.