Fish is a staple food consumed in many households in Ghana. Marine fish accounts for over 80% of fish consumed in Ghana.

Report by the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN), revealed that Ghana imports an estimated US$ 311.4 million worth of seafood and fish products. It is estimated  that import levels in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018  reached US$290.1 million, US$349.4 million, US$297.5 million and US$311.4 million respectively.

The Deputy Director in charge of the Fisheries Commission, Paul Bannerman disclosed that Ghana is unable to export more fish due to the low production and the high demand for more fish in the country.

He said the demand for fish in the country is about 865,000, a volume, he noted the fisheries sector cannot meet unless it imports more fish to supplement what the country needs.

According to him, Ghana imports about 200,000 metric tonnes from European countries and exports around 160-170 Metric Tonnes.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Bannerman enumerated man-made, natural climatic conditions and Illegal Fishing as some of the challenges the sector is facing.

Mr Bannerman added that though the sector has little control over the natural climatic conditions, the sector is putting measures in place to curb some of the man-made challenges.

Touching on employment, he said the sector is creating direct and indirect employment by employing more captains, navigators, carpenters, mechanics, ice sellers and many more.

This, he said is contributing to the overall development of the Fisheries Sector.

Mr Bannerman said the fisheries sector added close to 1.9 % to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year.

Touching on the African Continental Free Trade, he said that the Fisheries Sector will come up with better trade policies to be able to trade and export more fish to other countries.

By:Mabel Faith Tannor