He said there was huge potential in the aquaculture sector to assist the country earn substantial foreign exchange and give opportunity to Ghanaians to have access to abundance fish for consumption and export.

Mrs Arthur gave the assurance when she paid a working visit to R&B Farms at Nsuaem to acquaint herself with the farm's operations and to rally support to the Management to continue their good works to serve Mother Ghana.

The R&B Farms with extra ordinary capacity in catfish and tilapia farming, is located at Nsuaem in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region.

The Minister assured the management that the existing relationship between the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the government would continue to provide jobs for the youth in Gomoa Central and other parts of the Country.

She said the visit to the farms had given her more insight into the relevance of Aquaculture for food and jobs programme under her Ministry and expressed optimism that everything possible would be done to sustain the fisheries
sector.

Mrs Arthur since assuming office three weeks ago, had toured Volta, Oti, Eastern, Western, Greater Accra and Central Regions with the aim of interacting with fishing communities to assess situation on the grounds and see how to support their works.

The Minister gave the assurance that her Office would do everything within her power to ensure that R&B Farms received a grant to enable it undergo expansion and to sustain its fish farming activities.
She said the amount of fish Ghanaians consumed had reduced due to depletion of marine fish stock which was not enough to meet the growing demands.

The Minister pledged government's full commitment towards ensuring that Anomabo Fisheries College was completed and operationalised this year as part of the reset agenda of President Mahama.

She promised to link R&B Farms to a faculty of the Anomabo Fisheries College purposely for Aquaculture studies to help maximise the full benefits of that sector.

The Minister said R&B Farms had integrated Aquaculture very well and there was an urgent need to support its operations in the areas of fish production, job creation and overall benefits to the Ghanaian economy.

Mr Richard Ekow Quansah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of R&B Farms said the farms was set up five years ago to build capacity to help empower the youth with jobs, adding that they would leverage aquaculture for food and jobs to create wealth among the youth to reduce economic hardship.
He revealed plans to target the next five years to create at least 10 million jobs for the teeming youth.

Mr Quansah thanked the government and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture for its decision to rally behind the Farms to continue its relevant programmes aimed at training the youth to acquire skills in aquaculture.

The CEO, however, expressed concern about research findings indicating that illegal mining (galamsey) was seriously threatening aquaculture farming due to pollution of water bodies.

The management of R&B Farms, had on that direction, had rolled out programmes to partner state institutions and other governmental agencies to train the youth in illegal mining communities on alternative livelihood to support them.

This he stated would go a long way to reduce pollution and destruction of water bodies to help sustain the aquaculture for food and jobs introduced to reduce unemployment among the youth.

Mr Benjamin Turkson, Operations Director of R&B Farms said the farm was working with the University of Education, Winneba, University of Cape Coast, Bolgatanga Technical University, and other tertiary institutions to increase research works to boost fish production.
He said the R&B Farms were the only indigenous and biggest inland fish farms in the country owned by Ghanaians to produce adequate fish, especially catfish and tilapia, and nurture fingerlings for fish farmers.

He said the management of the Farms had also realised that it was relevant to partner the Ministry of Education to introduce galamsey as a subject in Junior and Senior High Schools, particularly those in the mining communities to help students understand dangers it poses and sensitise their communities to stop the menace.
The Operations Director suggested that the Aquaculture for food and jobs should be introduced in all Senior High Schools to save the cost of fish consumed by the students.

Mr Kwame Asare Obeng, MP for Gomoa Central assured the management of R&B Farms that every opportunity would be explored to support the farms to achieve its objective of job creation for the youth.

He said the Gomoa Central has brighter future in the areas of private sector investments, and government was making efforts to give maximum assistance to investors, mostly Ghanaians to succeed.

The MP urged the youth who have had opportunity to be engaged by R&B Farms as employees to avoid illicit and other thievery acts that may have long term negative effects on the progression of the farms but work to enhance the economic growth of Gomoa Central Constituency.