Boost 4 Aquaculture

The Ministry of Fisheries has entered into an agreement with Luye Fisheries in China for assistance in the production of male tilapia fingerlings for distribution to fish farmers in Ghana.
The move is aimed at helping to make high yielding fingerlings always available to fish farmers so as to serve as a boost to aquaculture in the country.
Consequently, the Ministry had allocated the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie in the Atwima District of Ashanti to be used as a pilot station for the development of what they termed, the Super Male Tilapia in the country.
Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, on Wednesday, led a team from Luye Fisheries in China to inspect the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie to enable them have first hand information before the project commences.pictture shows-Mrs Asmah (in cap) conducting the Chinese team round the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie.
The male tilapia is noted for growing faster than the female and that it could attain the weight of about 750 grammes within seven months, for harvesting. Hence it is profitable to use male fingerlings instead of female fingerlings in fishfarming.
Mrs Asmah stressed that the government was determined to ensure that aquaculture developed in the Ghana to make the country a major exporter of fish in Africa.
Luye Fisheries in China is one of the biggest tilipia producing companies in the world and was noted for growing the super male tilapia, producing about one billion fingerlings each year for distribution to fishfarmers across China.
Mrs Asmah said aquaculture development in the country was a priority of the Ministry of Fisheries and that having a proper fish seed could help make the country achieve its aim of becoming a major exporter of fish.
She said the tilapia in China originated from Ghana and that after the creation of the Ministry of Fisheries, the Chinese Embassy in Ghana was contacted to assist in the development of an aquaculture base in Ghana for export.
She said as a result, an arrangement was made for some officials from the Ministry including herself to visit China to have first hand information.
She said Luye had pledged to assist Ghana to export about 400,000 metric tonnes of tilapia each year and that with the commencement of the pilot project, the Chinese would teach Ghanaians the technology of producing the super male fingerlings.
The Minister said having just one point of fingerlings production was not enough and added that the project was expected to be extended to other parts of the country.
The leader of the Chinese team, Mr Chen Jianhua, who is from the China National Fisheries Corporation said the climate in Ghana was suitable for tilapia production and noted that there was plenty water bodies in the country suitable for tilapia production.
He said Luye would assist the government to promote aquaculture in the country to help make Ghana a major exporter of tilapia in Africa.
PICTURE SHOWS
Mrs Asmah (in cap) conducting the Chinese team round the Aquaculture Adaptive Trials Centre at Nkawie.