As part of a working visit to the South Tongu District on Saturday, 31st January 2026, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Emelia Arthur, toured key aquaculture facilities in the district to assess the state of the industry and engage stakeholders on challenges and opportunities.
The Minister, accompanied by the District Chief Executive, Hon. Victoria Dzeklo, and the Member of Parliament for South Tongu, Hon. Maxwell Kwame Lukutor, visited Fish and Feed Don Gazy Farms and Flossel Farms, three leading aquaculture enterprises operating along the Volta River.
During the visit, the Minister and officials from the Fisheries Commission interacted extensively with the farm operators to obtain first-hand information on the challenges confronting the aquaculture sector. The farmers highlighted the high cost of doing business, recurring fish diseases, and security threats posed by illegal fishing activities around their ponds as major concerns affecting productivity.
They further recounted the significant losses incurred during the Akosombo Dam spillage, which, according to them, forced several start-up fish farmers out of business. Despite these setbacks, the farmers explained how they have gradually rebuilt their operations through resilience, innovation, and partnerships.
Hon. Emelia Arthur expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the farms following the devastating spillage and commended their determination to bounce back. She praised their collaboration with local institutions and foreign partners in promoting best practices in aquaculture production and capacity building. The Minister encouraged the farmers to continuously engage with the Ministry and the Fisheries Commission to help scale up production and strengthen the sector.
The MP for South Tongu, Hon. Maxwell Kwame Lukutor, together with the DCE, appealed to the Minister to give special consideration to fish farmers and businesses operating along the Volta River, who were severely affected by the spillage. The MP stressed that it would be unfair to lump affected businesses together with households during compensation processes, noting that many enterprises suffered massive capital losses.
He therefore demanded a separate and targeted compensation package for affected businesses, particularly fish farmers, to enable them fully recover and sustain operations. Hon. Victoria Dzeklo supported this call, emphasizing the economic importance of aquaculture to livelihoods and employment in the district.
In response, the Minister assured stakeholders that the concerns raised would be taken up at the appropriate level and pledged to work towards ensuring that compensation is paid to affected fish farmers.
Both the MP and the DCE also commended the farms for the employment opportunities they have created, especially for the youth and graduates within the constituency, describing the sector as a critical driver of local economic development.
