Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - The Ministry of Fisheries together with the state of Israel and the Freshwater Fishery Institute of Shandong, China, have signed a technical agreement to help develop aquaculture in the country with the aim of promoting fish farming.

"The training programme, which has already started is designed to transfer aquaculture skills and technology to our farmers," Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, told parliament on Thursday. She was responding to a question from Mr Joe Gidisu, (NDC-Central Tongu) on what was being done to promote aquaculture in the Lower Volta Basin.

The Minister said the Lower Volta basin had a high potential for aquaculture development and that the Ministry would help design and implement projects through the private sector.

"The Lower Volta basin, which stretches from Akosombo dam to the estuary at Azizanya-Ada, has the potential for the development of pond and pen fish culture. In Battor and its outlying towns and villages the people are already practising penfish."

She said the Ministry had carefully considered the practice and effecting some changes to make it more effective and efficient. Responding to another question, Mrs Asmah said the Ministry had set in motion the arrangements for the establishment and inauguration of the Fisheries Commission to assist in the regulation and management of the country's fisheries resources in compliance with article 269 of the constitution and the provisions of the Fisheries Act of 2002.