CANR-KNUST strengthens Ghana-China fisheries and aquaculture partnership

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) KNUST has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the People's Republic of China to advance fisheries and aquaculture development in Ghana.

The engagement brought together a Chinese delegation and university officials to explore opportunities for investment, research, innovation and capacity building in the sector.

Dean of the International Programmes Office, Professor Edmund Ekuadzi, said KNUST is well-positioned to support agribusiness investment, particularly in aquaculture, citing the university's population of over 120,000 students and staff as a ready market for fish products.

"What we offer is the market, the technology and the expertise," he said, adding that KNUST also serves as a pipeline of skilled graduates for industry.

He noted that KNUST's more than 70 years of excellence in agricultural education and research, coupled with its annual output of over 20,000 graduates, provides a strong foundation for partnerships that promote economic development.

Head of the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management, Professor Regina Esi Edziyie, showcased the university's aquaculture facilities, including fish ponds, tanks, aquaponics units, recirculating aquaculture systems and specialised laboratories that support research, innovation and hands-on student training.

She explained that some of the technologies have been developed using locally available materials to enable farmers to replicate them in their communities, while dedicated research facilities support studies in fish nutrition, aquatic ecology and fish health.

Professor Edziyie added that experiential learning remains central to the department's training approach, with students actively managing aquaculture facilities and participating in field-based practicals to prepare them for industry.

Beyond teaching and research, she highlighted the department's extension activities, including training programmes for farmers and correctional institutions, where KNUST has established aquaculture systems and built local capacity in fish farming.

Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Professor Fred Nimoh, expressed optimism that the engagement would lead to a long-term partnership that promotes innovation, research and investment in Ghana's fisheries and aquaculture sector.

"We are ready for this collaboration, and we expect that within a few years' time, we will have a very successful partnership," he said.