Fish Farming: No evidence of steroid in tilapia yet – Fisheries Minister

The Ministry said even though they are investigating allegations that some Chinese are using steroids in Ghana for fish farming, they are yet to substantiate this claim.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye has said that they are yet to find steroids content in tilapia on the Ghanaian market.

She said even though they are investigating allegations that some Chinese are using steroids in Ghana for fish farming, they are yet to substantiate this claim.

She told Accra-based Starr FM that “at the moment, the Water and Research Institute is testing the fish to find if there is any presence of steroids at all, and also to establish the genetic makeup of the fish itself and so they are in the lab working on it.”

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“We haven’t established yet that there is the presence of steroid in the fish. So we cannot say for sure that the farmers are using steroids to produce the fish,” she added.

Her comments follow concerns raised after it was discovered that the tilapia being produced by the Chinese mature in the relatively shorter period compared to the species produced locally. Most people argued that this that may affect the quality of tilapia produced.

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But the Minister disagreed saying “there is always improvement in agriculture. There is always research being done. There is always an improvement in our production.”

“So what it means is that it is possible that fish that was hitherto produced in six-month could be produced in three-month. It is also possible. So that would not definitely mean that there is a compromise on quality. No. I don’t think so.”

The Ministry said even though they are investigating allegations that some Chinese are using steroids in Ghana for fish farming, they are yet to substantiate this claim. Read Full Story