The Austrian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Jürgen Heissel, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, today, October 8, 2026, at the Ministry to explore areas of mutual interest and potential collaboration in Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The discussions focused on aquaculture, research, fish health, data, technology and opportunities for Austrian investment and technical support.
H.E. Jürgen Heissel expressed Austria’s readiness to explore areas where the country’s expertise could support Ghana’s priorities, particularly in aquaculture, life sciences, water management and research. He highlighted existing collaborations between academic institutions in Ghana and Austria as a potential platform for joint research and training, particularly in aquaculture and related areas.
He also expressed interest in identifying specialised Austrian companies that could provide technologies, expertise and investment to support Ghana’s aquaculture ambitions. The Ambassador noted that Austria has specialised companies with expertise in areas such as aquaculture, alternative fish feed, water management, fish breeding and water treatment.
He indicated that further engagement would be undertaken with Austrian trade and economic networks to identify companies that may be interested in Ghana’s aquaculture sector, particularly in specialised areas where Austrian expertise could complement Ghana’s needs.
Hon. Emelia Arthur expressed appreciation to the Ambassador and said Ghana’s fish demand exceeds domestic production, creating the need to expand aquaculture alongside other interventions in the fisheries sector.
She highlighted the Ministry’s plans to establish Ghana Aquaculture Economic Zones to support small- and medium-scale operators, particularly young people, with the necessary infrastructure to establish and operate aquaculture businesses. The initiative is expected to contribute to the creation of jobs.
She also highlighted the need to strengthen fish-health personnel and laboratory capacity to improve the timely detection and management of fish diseases.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the Ministry and the Austrian side to identify practical areas where Austria’s technical expertise, research capacity and private-sector investment could support Ghana’s efforts to expand aquaculture, strengthen fish-health systems and improve the use of science and data in fisheries management and improve the Fisheries and aquaculture sector .
