AFTER you travel away from shore on a speedboat for about 40 minutes, Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in Africa, feels like the open sea. Yet parts of the Ghanaian lake are actually a giant fish farm. Millions of tilapia, a popular freshwater fish Ghanaians believe is best fried whole, live in cages that resemble bottomless paddling pools. Out in the deep it is easier to control oxygen levels to prevent the fish from dying of stress or disease, explains Vicente Maldonado of Tropo Farms in Mpakadan.
The lake has space for many more fish cages. Yet Tropo is one of only a few big fish farms in west Africa. Despite its large lakes, long coastlines and plentiful fish lovers, the continent lags behind in aquaculture, which has fuelled the fishing industry’s global expansion over the past decade. Catching up could have many benefits, but obstacles persist.
Unlike elsewhere in the world, where farmed fish accounts for some 60% of consumption, Africans mostly eat wild fish. In Ghana only 17% of all fish consumed is farmed. With climate change and overfishing endangering wild stocks, farms could provide more reliable supplies, reducing the need for expensive imports (40% of the fish Africans eat comes from abroad). Done right, it could also be better for the environment and bring in foreign currency from exports.
Why has fish farming not taken off? The main problem is money. Once set up, aquaculture can be more lucrative than traditional fishing, but it takes several months for baby fish to grow big enough to sell. Most fishermen do not have enough cash or credit to afford to switch. Once a farm is up and running, feeding the fish and making sure they don’t overheat or die of disease is more expensive in areas with poor infrastructure. Unreliable electricity grids make it hard to power reliable cold chains. Bad roads and high tariffs hamper the fish’s route to regional and foreign markets.
Better trade links and infrastructure would help, too. So would cheaper credit for aspiring fish farmers. If west Africa manages to take a deep dive into aquaculture, the splash could reverberate far beyond its borders. ■
Sign up to the Analysing Africa, a weekly newsletter that keeps you in the loop about the world’s youngest—and least understood—continent.