Hon. Emelia Arthur Backs Blue Food Innovation Hub to Strengthen Fisheries and Food Security in Ghana

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Ghana has officially launched the Blue Food Innovation Hub, with Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Emelia Arthur outlining a bold vision to position the fisheries and aquaculture sector as a pillar of food security, climate resilience, and economic diversification.

The Hub was launched in partnership with the Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana, creating a new platform to link policy, research, private investment, and innovation across the blue economy.

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Fisheries and Aquaculture Equal National Security

Delivering her keynote address, the Minister stressed that fisheries and aquaculture are not only economic sectors but matters of national stability.

She revealed that over three million Ghanaians depend directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Across coastal and inland communities, the sector supports incomes, local enterprise, and food supply.

Her message was direct. Fisheries and aquaculture equal national security.

She noted that Ghana must rethink how it presents the sector. At a recent high-level engagement with the private sector, fisheries and aquaculture had limited representation. According to her, the industry must tell its story better and reposition itself as a serious investment destination.

New Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025 Strengthens Governance

A key highlight of the Minister’s speech was the implementation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025, Act 1146.

She explained that the new law modernizes the regulatory framework and places stronger emphasis on aquaculture development. Previously, aquaculture had limited representation within governance structures. The new Act corrects this by integrating aquaculture into decision-making at the highest levels.

The law aims to:

Promote responsible investment
Strengthen governance and oversight
Encourage technological advancement
Create an enabling environment for sustainable aquaculture growth

Through this reform, the government seeks to increase aquaculture output, generate employment, and improve food security outcomes.

Feed Ghana Program to Support Fish Feed Production

The Minister also highlighted collaboration with the agriculture sector under the national Feed Ghana program. One of its priorities is increasing maize and soya production locally to support fish feed manufacturing.

This approach links crop production directly to aquaculture expansion, reducing import dependence and lowering production costs for fish farmers.

She emphasized that stronger coordination between fisheries and aquaculture authorities is already underway, describing the working relationship as integrated and deliberate.

Why the Blue Food Innovation Hub Matters

The Blue Food Innovation Hub is designed as a collaborative platform bringing together:

Government agencies
Research institutions
Private sector actors
Financial institutions
Development partners

Its goal is to close long-standing gaps between research and industry. The Minister pointed out that academic research often remains unused, sitting on shelves instead of reaching commercial scale.

The Hub will serve as the following:

A co-creation space for innovation
A testing ground for scalable aquaculture solutions
A bridge between research and enterprise
An investment attraction platform

She referenced global examples where research institutions incubate ideas, attract investors, and commercialize solutions at scale. Ghana intends to replicate similar models locally through the Hub.

Advancing Sustainable Blue Economy in Africa

The Minister positioned the Blue Food Innovation Hub as part of Africa’s broader effort to lead its own sustainable development agenda.

She stated that Ghana is not waiting for external solutions but designing systems tailored to African realities. The Hub aligns with government priorities around:

Sustainability
Value addition
Digital transformation
Inclusive growth

It also supports the country’s 24-hour economy agenda by creating opportunities for round-the-clock production, processing, and export within the blue economy.

Investment and Innovation at the Center

According to the Minister, the success of the Blue Food Innovation Hub will depend on sustained collaboration and investment.

She called on stakeholders to treat the Hub as

A center of excellence
A laboratory for innovation
A driver of practical solutions
A platform for transformative capital

The official launch signals Ghana’s intent to expand aquaculture beyond traditional pond systems and explore marine aquaculture, advanced technologies, and climate-resilient production systems.

With regulatory reforms in place and public-private collaboration strengthening, the Blue Food Innovation Hub now stands as a strategic vehicle to accelerate aquaculture growth, strengthen food systems, and position Ghana as a leader in Africa’s blue economy transformation.