A joint initiative between Norway and Ghana has been announced to develop the latter’s aquaculture sector through transfer of Norwegian fish farming knowledge and technology
Other than strengthening the Ghanaian fish industry and the health of fish in the country, the project is also aimed at showcasing Norwegian aquaculture technology. It was announced by More Fish AS, Nofima and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, and is called the Norway Ghana Tilapia Initiative (NORGHATI).
The initiative was presented at a meeting in Oslo hosted by Tekna FTU with participants from Norway’s foreign ministry, Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation and Innovation Norway. At the meeting, NORGHATI was proposed as a flagship project the Norwegian government’s Fish for Development programme, with the potential to be a model for other countries.
“With NORGHATI, we want to transfer technological and veterinary expertise to ensure a biological sustainable development of aquaculture in Ghana. We would like to contribute to the development of a commercially viable aquaculture in Africa,” said Dr. Kofitsyo Cudjoe, project manager for NORGHATI. Dr. Cudjoe is from Ghana and heads bacteriology at the Norwegian National Veterinary Institute in Oslo.
The aquaculture industry is growing in the West African country but is struggling to become sustainable and commercially viable. Norway has the expertise and experience in aquaculture, which can benefit Ghana to develop the potential this industry has as a stable source of food self-sufficiency.
“The Norwegian partners want to ensure that Ghana could create a commercial and sustainable beacon for African aquaculture, adapted to local needs. This requires a strengthening of fish health in the country through the transfer of expertise from Norwegian research community,” added Dr. Cudjoe.
NORGHATI aims to provide practical training in breeding, feeding, diagnosis and fish health management as well as technical and technological implementation.
