CSIR, Aquaculture launch ‘Tilapia and Catfish Friday’
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in partnership with the Ghana National Aquaculture Association, has launched the “Tilapia and Catfish Friday” campaign in Accra.
The initiative is aimed at boosting local fish consumption, improving farmers’ income and addressing price disparities between farm gates and markets.
The launch formed part of national efforts to promote aquaculture as a sustainable source of protein, reduce dependence on fish imports and strengthen the aquaculture value chain.
Maximising production
Speaking at the launch last Thursday, the National President of the Aquaculture Association, Francis De-Heer, said the campaign was intended to maximise fish production while promoting value addition for local consumption and export.
He explained that products such as fish sausages, smoked tilapia, fish powder, and dried fish packets had been developed to widen consumer choices.
Mr De-Heer said over 70 per cent of fish farmers in the country were small-scale producers, who lacked adequate training and skills to optimise production.
He added that efforts were ongoing to provide training and establish a one-stop shop for fish farmers to secure the requisite permits from regulatory agencies.
He said that although many farmers had shown strong interest in fish farming, they lacked the technical capacity to manage farms efficiently and to market their produce profitably.
Mr De-Heer added that small- and medium-scale fish farmers made up more than 70 per cent of producers but contributed relatively low output due to limited skills and inadequate access to resources.
Challenges
Mr De-Heer said high feed costs remained a key challenge for fish farmers.
He explained that feed accounted for the largest share of production expenses, making it difficult for farmers to sell at affordable prices while remaining profitable.
He added that most farmers had no permits to operate, creating regulatory bottlenecks.
Food security
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, said fish remained central to the country’s food security, providing over 60 per cent of the country’s animal protein intake, with per capita consumption averaging 20.43 kilograms per year.
She explained that national demand for fish exceeded one million metric tonnes, while domestic production met only 43.6 per cent of requirements.
The gap, she said, was filled through imports averaging 185,376 metric tonnes annually for $82.65 million.
Mrs Arthur said aquaculture had emerged as an important solution to reduce imports, create jobs and increase incomes for small- and medium-scale fish farmers.
She also announced that the government had signed the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), replacing the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625).
According to her, the new law provided stronger provisions for aquaculture regulation and growth, placing the sector firmly at the centre of national development policy.
She explained that the “Tilapia and Catfish Friday” campaign was about promoting consumption and value addition, supporting hatchery development and reducing feed costs under the Feed Ghana programme.
Chief Executive Officer of the Fish and Feeds Limited, Dr Nuga Murau, said farmers were not responsible for high retail prices.
According to him, farm gate prices ranged between GH₵35 and GH₵38 per kilo, but the price tripled by the time the fish reached consumers.
He called for the establishment of direct farmer-to-consumer markets to ensure affordability.
“Farmers sell tilapia for GH₵35 to GH₵38 per kilo, but by the time it gets to the consumer, the price has tripled’, he said.
