The Sustainable Fish Feed (SUSFEED) project is a research-based project jointly undertaken by the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management (DFWM) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Aquaculture Section of Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua) with funding from DANIDA. The project aims at developing a low-cost but high quality fish feeds using local feed ingredients for the aquaculture industry in Ghana.
Feed accounts for 50-70% of production cost. Traditionally fish feeds are based on fishmeal and fish oil derived from capture fisheries but the high cost, the increasing pressure and limited availability of these resources present a global challenge owing to the growing aquaculture sector. Ghana’s aquaculture production is centred on tilapia culture. The sector has a huge potential for growth, especially small to medium scale operators whose productivity has remained very low due to the high cost of formulated feeds on the Ghanaian market.
The SUSFEED project therefore addresses this critical challenge by researching and developing fish feeds from a matrix of locally available ingredients. The nutritional composition and quality of potential local feed ingredients were analysed, evaluated, and experimental diets formulated and tested under laboratory conditions as well in farm trials. The project will build the capacity of two PhDs and three masters’ students enrolled at KNUST and jointly supervised by our Danish partners. Capacity in the screening of ingredients, laboratory analyses, fish feed formulation and testing will be strengthened. Knowledge will be transferred nationally through collaboration with farmers and at workshops including key stakeholders, and internationally through publications and conferences. It is envisaged that the utilization of potential local ingredients in fish feeds will not only strengthen the aquaculture sector in Ghana, but also contribute to conservation of natural resources and ensure environmental sustainability.