As part of the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ) pilot program aimed at increasing domestic fish production and creating job opportunity of the value chain particularly for the youth, the Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson has donated 4,000 fingerlings and 320 bags of Ranaan fish feed to the James Camp Prison, in Accra.
In her view, the project would help at reforming inmates of the prison, while giving them some sought of livelihood after serving their respective jail sentence. The Minister pledged to work hand in hand with the Prison Administration to provide additional ponds to increase production.
She highlighted that similar projects were being undertaken in selected Senior High Schools, Prisons, church groups and was optimistic that by the end of 2022 the Ministry in partnership with other agencies will establish over 200 Aquaculture institutions.
The Officer in charge of the Ghana Prison service, Superintendent Godwin Abutia also commented on the immeasurable contribution the ministry has shown towards the prison service and expressed his appreciation to the ministry for including the Prisons in the 2018 flagship program dubbed, “Aquaculture for Food and Jobs”.
He appealed to the ministry not to abandon them halfway but to provide them with avenues to strengthen the project.
On his part, the Deputy Director of Prisons and Officer in Charge of James camp Prison, Mr. Raphael Kwesi Tuekpe, expressed his joy on how the Aquaculture project would help to provide protein for inmates, officers and the general public.
He also stressed on how the project will provide skills for officers and most importantly the inmates to help them integrate into society better and urged everyone not to stigmatize but accept ex-convicts as human beings to prevent them from waging war against society.
