Aquaculture growth in WR impressive – Sherry Ayitey

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Ms Hanny Sherry Ayitey, has expressed satisfaction at the rate at which aquaculture business is growing in the Western Region.

She assured stakeholders involved and all those playing diverse roles in the country's fisheries sector of government's unflinching support to assist them expand their operations to improve fish production in the country.

According to the Minister, the support being offered could come from any angle, provided stakeholders, including fish farmers, continue to play their respective roles as expected.

She made the promise while addressing fishermen and other key stakeholders of the sector at various coastal communities in the Western Region.

The visit formed part of the Minister's familiarisation tour of the coastal and inland fishing communities, including Tarkwa.

The tour offered the Minister an opportunity to interact with fish farmers and to gain first-hand information on the progress of aquaculture business in the region.

According to her, one of the top priorities of the present government was to ensure that improved fish feed and quality fingerlings were available to farmers at affordable prices.

Ms Ayitey said the ministry had designed a policy to prevent post-harvest losses in the fisheries sector, adding that plans were far advanced to build cold stores at strategic locations in fish farming areas in order to assist the farmers maximise income from fisheries activities.

She said government considered the fisheries sector as one of its top socio-economic development priorities, and expressed the need for fish farmers, especially the youth, to take advantage of this opportunity and develop interest in aquaculture as a means of job creation.