The Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana (COA) will launch the Blue Food Innovation Hub on Wednesday, February 25, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, COA announced in a press release on February 24, as reported by Ecofin Agency.
The center is designed to accelerate technology transfer and strengthen technical skills among producers, fostering collaboration between start-ups, researchers, investors, and technical partners in aquaculture and fisheries.
The initiative aims to tackle challenges such as high input costs, climate resilience, and limited market access.
Jacob Adzikah, CEO of COA, told local media outlet My Joy Online, “The hub will provide solutions to major challenges such as lack of access to finance and markets, low technology adoption and knowledge gaps among sector players. It will transform the blue foods sector, particularly inland aquaculture, and provide small businesses struggling to scale with the resources they need to grow.”
COA plans to mobilize around $10 million in investment by 2036 through the hub, with funds supporting fisheries and aquaculture enterprises, promoting sustainable practices, and strengthening local processing to boost competitiveness in regional and international markets.
“The Hub will initially launch an acceleration program to support a group of start-ups and SMEs, making them investment-ready and capable of scaling,” COA said in a statement.
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The initiative aligns with broader government efforts to expand aquaculture and encourage sustainable fishing practices.
In October 2025, Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang announced plans to create a development fund to improve access to finance, upgrade infrastructure, and accelerate research and technology transfer in the sector.
Earlier, in December 2025, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture said it had begun discussions with researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada to strengthen governance and sustainability across fisheries.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show Ghana’s inland and marine fish catches declined 22.6%, falling from 496,770 tonnes in 1999 to 384,370 tonnes in 2023, while aquaculture production nearly doubled from 52,360 tonnes in 2019 to 100,000 tonnes in 2023.
Total fish production in the country reached 484,412 tonnes in 2023, with 44% exported, while apparent consumption stood at nearly 798,128 tonnes.
Official estimates from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2026 put the annual fresh fish supply deficit at close to 700,000 tonnes.
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Image Credit: Forbes
