New fish farming for Lake Bosomtwi

Accra, June 17, GNA - The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is to introduce a new form of fish farming in Lake Bosomtwi in Ashanti, to enhance the economic and social status of the people in the area.

In addition, a fish-processing programme would be followed to add value to the fish that would be produced, Mr J. H. Owusu-Acheampong, the sector Minister told Parliament on Thursday.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong said fish caging, penning and ranching have been identified as forms of fish farming that can be used to enhance the productivity of large water bodies such as the Lake Bosomtwi.

He was answering a Parliamentary question about the Ministry's plans to encourage and assist the people living around Bosomtwi to adopt viable farming methods to reduce their over-dependence on the resources of the Lake.

The question stood in the name of Mr Adu Gyamfi Poku, MP for the area.

The Minister said the fish farming and the fish processing programme could be integrated into the envisaged tourism development in the Lake area.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong explained that the Lake basin has steep edges, which make any form of commercial crop farming very difficult, saying that it is, therefore, natural that the inhabitants have over the years, depended on fishing as the main source of their livelihood.

He said a project aimed at improving the economic and social wellbeing of the people in the area, must, therefore, seek to enhance the fishing industry around which other activities could be developed.

He said in addition to the Ministry's efforts at improving productivity of the Lake, a "no till" technology concept for the production of maize and other staples would be introduced to farmers in Bosomtwi Kwanwoma District, which include people living around the Lake.

The Minister said agricultural extension officers of the Ministry would intensify training of farmers in the technology for increased yields of staple crops to boost their incomes.

He said considering the nature of the terrain around the Lake, and fishing as a major source of livelihood of the people, some communities would be encouraged to develop wood lots of fast-growing multi-purpose trees, to provide fuel wood for the local fishing industry and for sale elsewhere.