Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, has called for increased investment in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, warning that the country’s growing fish deficit presents both a major challenge and a significant economic opportunity.
Speaking on January 15, 2026, at the Sea the Future Summit in Israel during a global leaders’ session on sustainable aquaculture, food security, and international collaboration for a resilient blue economy, the minister said Ghana is producing less than half of the fish it consumes, creating wide investment gaps across the value chain.
“Our demand for fish is about 1.2 million tonnes, but we are only meeting about 550,000 tonnes. This means there is a huge space for investment and improvement in the sector,” she said.
Madam Arthur explained that fisheries and aquaculture play a central role in Ghana’s economy and food security, noting that about 60% of the country’s animal protein intake comes from fish, while nearly three million people depend on the fisheries value chain for their livelihoods.
She outlined Ghana’s three main fisheries sub-sectors — marine fisheries along the 550-kilometre Atlantic coastline, inland fisheries from rivers and lakes, and aquaculture — and said targeted investment in each area could help close the widening supply gap.
According to the minister, climate change and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing have led to declining marine fish stocks, making aquaculture an increasingly critical area for expansion.
“Marine fisheries account for about 64% of our total fish consumption, while aquaculture contributes about 17%. There is significant room for growth, particularly in aquaculture, to meet domestic demand,” she noted.
Madam Arthur also pointed to opportunities in fish processing, saying existing infrastructure is underutilised due to insufficient supply.
“If we produce fish for consumption, it is needed. If we produce fish for processing, there are large canneries in the country, and they do not have enough fish to operate,” she said.
She urged local and international investors to partner with Ghana to strengthen production, processing, and sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, positioning the industry as a key driver of food security, jobs, and a resilient blue economy.
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