Fusion Marine clinches Ghana aquaculture deal

UK-based Fusion Marine has won an order to supply aquaculture equipment for a new tilapia farm in Ghana in the first modernisation project of this type for the West African country.

Ghana has excellent aquaculture potential but up until now has relied on traditional and unsophisticated culture systems. Fusion Marine will initially supply five polyethylene circular fish pens but this number is expected to increase substantially once the farm becomes established.

The new farm will be located downstream from the Akosombo dam on the River Volta. The water is of high quality and the water flow at the proposed farm site is constant as it is controlled through the dam.

The project will start with a production of 200 tonnes of tilapia per annum but the long-term plan is to reach 2,000 tonnes per annum and then to diversify into marine species along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.

The new initiative will initially purchase juvenile fish or fingerlings from commercial hatcheries but within 18 months it is planned to have an in-house hatchery to meet the growing fingerling requirements of the project.

The first phase is expected to be completed by September this year, the new hatchery by middle of 2011, and further expansion of the pen systems by the end of next year.