The Host Country Principal Investigators Program (HCPI Phase II) Steve Amisah & Remedios Bolivar

1. The Host Country Principal Investigators Program (HCPI Phase II)Steve Amisah & Remedios Bolivar

2. Background: Food Security and Poverty in Africa • Poverty levels in the West Africa sub-region range from 69-88% making this region the poorest and one of the most vulnerable in the world. • In this region, 47% of the children are stunted; 44% are underweight and 11% are wasted (USAID/Ghana, 2006)

3. Protein requirements • Protein from animal sources remain restricted and in some of these countries capture fisheries can no longer be sustained; e.g. Ghana imports about US$200 million of fish annually. • Why? Because there is not enough fish to feed the people and aquaculture is still developing, and beset with diverse problems of policy, (politics?), technical and infrastructural development

4. Tilapia and catfishes remain a central focus for now

5. Capture fisheries face problems

6. Major Concerns • The threat to food security, malnutrition and sustained poverty have been major concerns to developed and developing country governments and the international community.

7. INITIATIVE TO END HUNGER IN AFRICA (IEHA) • Several initiatives are being taken either in “solitude” or in tandem with government and other stakeholders to address the food security issues.; e.g. Basic School Feeding Programme in Ghana • One of these Initiatives is the “Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA)” for which AquafIsh CRSP is a key stakeholder.

8. Economic Growth and U.S. Presidential Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA) • Aimed at increasing accessto: • food and nutrition to the highly vulnerable, • safe water and sanitation; • education (girl child education emphasised)

9. Women and children remain vulnerable and are target for the initiatives to end hunger

10. Sanitation and the fishery!!!

11. Need for capacity Building and empowerment: The birth of HCPI • It is against this background that ACRSP in 2004 launched an innovative exchange project designed to facilitate more direct collaboration among ACRSP Host County Institutions in Honduras, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand

12. Primary Objective • To share successful Tilapia/Cichlid production Techniques among scientists and institutions in different countries and regions and explore possibilities of replicating BMPs in respective countries to enhance production and income levels.

13. How has the program operated? • Through visits to each of the participation host countries where tilapia culture information was exchanged through seminars, field visits, informal discussions

14. HCPI Phase II • In 2006, the new AquaFish CRSP was initiated. • This was aimed at renewing emphasis on poverty reduction through focussing on both aquaculture and fisheries • A novel mentored-training approach was employed with emphasis on value chain of Tilapia production. • 1n 2007-2008, four “new” countries viz.SouthAfrica, Ghana, Vietnam and Brazil participated

15. Country Representations • Brazil Maria C. Portella • Ghana: Steve Amisah • South Africa: Lourens De Wet & Khalid Salie • Vietnam: Nguyen Thanh Phuong

16. Diversity • The countries represent a unique combination of regional similarities, differences in terms of climate, pond management protocols, species cultured, available inputs, policy issues • It was evident that cichlid farming remained common among all participating countries

17. HCPI Field Visits • Seminars were typically followed by 2-3 days of field visits to hatcheries, processing facilities, markets, fingerling production facilities and collaborating institutions and stakeholders

18. A fish pond in Ghana

19. Cage culture on the Volta Lake, Ghana

20. Fish grown in hapas in Ghana

21. Croc production for sustainable income and livelihood in South Africa

22. The HCPIE Programme HCPIE: An initiative of the Director of the CRSP programme, Dr. Hillary Egnah, (Centre) of the Oregon State University .

23. Target Countries Countries Visited in the Phase II were • Brazil • Ghana • South Africa • Vietnam The team was joined in Ghana by the China HCPI, Dr. Yang Yi.

24. The PIs, Director and Coordinator

25. LESSONS LEARNED • Exchange of knowledge and information on fish culture techniques • Feed and nutrition of fish • Tilapia breeding under varying ambient and controlled conditions • Pond management with emphasis on control of red algae • Fish processing

26. Fish processing under hygienic conditions: South Africa

27. Fish filleting and packaging: South Africa

28. Crocodile production in captivity can be a sustained source of livelihood

29. Capture fisheries is not sustainable for now …at least not in Ghana

30. Fish imports into Ghana run into millions of US$ • The capture fisheries industry is no longer sustainable and Aquaculture could offer a viable alternative • We can learn and pick from the experiences of similar developing countries to produce more fish. South East Asia, Brazil etc • Aquaculture could offer a viable alternative

31. So what shall we do to be “saved”?

32. Answer: Build capacity and produce our own fish but learn from the experiences of others so we don’t make the same mistakes.. The HCPI has just done that by providing the opportunities to do so

33. Hopefully, protein supply can be enhanced

34. …..But best processing and handling practices will add value to the product and boost income and livelihoods

35. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ..and perhaps we can have another TILAPIA NIGHT in Ghana…..soon

36. Acknowledgements • Director, AquaFish CRSP, Dr. Hillary Egna • Dr. James Bowman, HCPI Project Coordinator • AquaFish CRSP, Oregon, USA • University of Purdue, USA • Oregon State University • USAID and the American People • Collaborating HCPIE Phase II Participants and Institutions

37. Please, would you like to make further contributions or ask any questions?