REVIEW FISHERIES ACT — PROF BLAY

A LECTURER at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor John Blay Junior has called for the review of the Fisheries Act to make it responsive to the conservation and restoration of brackish waters and its fishery resources to help reduce poverty in coastal communities.
Prof. Blay, who is the Head of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, said the act in its current form, gives little attention to the conservation of brackish waters thus leaving such care for traditional sources.
Professor Blay said the situation had hampered the production of tilapia, a common fish in lagoons in the country.
Delivering his inaugural lecture at the auditorium of the UCC, he said even though tilapia constituted about 90 per cent of fisheries resources in the lagoons and had potential contribution to the coastal fishery production, such potential had been underestimated.
His topic was: “Lagoon Tilipai: Bioprofile and prospect for coastal fisheries development”.
Prof Blay said the country’s total 320 kilometres of lagoons produced only 0.2 per cent of the total fish produced in the country.
He said heavy pollution of the lagoons had resulted in the stunted growth of tilapia and its low production in the country, and called for appropriate approach and measures to enhance aquaculture and increased production of tilapia in the country.
Prof. Blay said despite the setback, lagoon tilapia continued to provide nutrition and employment for the poor coastal communities and had the capacity to grow to the size comparable to those in the River Nile when handled in proper aquaculture conditions.
He said it had also been established that it was the most suitable candidate for coastal aquaculture, and therefore called for the intensification of and effective fisheries management efforts to develop fisheries resources.
The lecturer, therefore, recommended the co-management of brackish water resources and comprehensive feasibility study to identify areas for pond and aquaculture, establishment of community lagoons, tilapia farming projects and establishment of hatcheries with the support of district assemblies for sustained fingerlings supply.
The Vice-Chancellor of the UCC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who chaired the function, stressed on the need for serious approach for sustainable development to enhance the country’s development fortunes.