Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan, a professor of fisheries and aquatic science at the University for Development Studies (UDS), has urged for additional funding for aquaculture development to feed the nation's expanding population.
He said that despite the rising demand for fish and fish products, the industry has seen a modest growth rate of roughly 3% per year during the previous two decades, necessitating the importation of fish from other nations.
The professor proposed the creation of a "One PVC fish tarpaulin tank for One household" strategy to address the issue and promote backyard aquaculture.
To minimize pollution, siltation, and the loss of fish habitats, "relevant stakeholders should also control the illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) activities on our water bodies," he said.
inaugural address
When he gave an inaugural lecture on the subject of "Live below water: Development and trajectory of Ghana's inland fisheries" at Tamale, the capital of the Northern regional state, Prof. Alhassan made the call.
Members of academia, civil society groups, traditional leaders, the church, and students all came to the UDS's 15th lecture in a series.
Prof. Alhassan said that research on several water bodies around the nation revealed that illicit activity had contributed to the sharp fall in recent years in fish catches.
"Fish catches were assessed as part of research on the Oti River at Agbasakope in the Krachi East District to give technical knowledge for sustainable fishing, and the results showed that fishing gear such as acid Fish was caught using gillnets, beach seine nets, bamboo traps, and netting, he added.
The professor said that such fishing gear did not follow the Fisheries Commission's recommended best practices for inland fish harvesting and asked for severe enforcement of the law prohibiting the use of illegal fishing gear.
Prof. Alhassan also blamed ineffective resource governance for the willful devastation of the nation's ecology and mineral resources.
The need to manage our natural resources responsibly for the sake of future generations must be ingrained in kids, he added. "We can overcome this by including it in the curriculum of basic schools," he said.
Given the significance of inland water fishing in providing food security by improving household livelihoods and incomes, More focus should be placed on the industry, according to the professor.
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