Small reservoirs could play a significant role in the context of aquatic food systems. Cage fish culture in small reservoirs could be a viable option for enhancing fish production, improving food security, and boosting rural livelihoods. A pilot study was conducted in North East region of Ghana to assess the potential of small reservoirs to produce fish for income and improve food security. The study assessed the profitability of two community based pilot cage fish farming in two reservoirs in the Northeast region by analyzing the production costs, revenues generated, and key financial performance indicators such as net profit margin, cost-benefit-ratio and return on investment (ROI). Two cages each of size 125m³ were installed in the reservoirs, stocked with 4000 all-male tilapia fingerlings each, fed with commercial diets and monitored monthly over a seven-month culture period. The sites survey as well as major water quality parameters analyzed were within optimal ranges, endorsing the suitability of the selected reservoirs. The fish growth parameters revealed an average growth of range 240-373g from an initial stock size of 2g. A simple profitability analysis from the two communities (Table 1) show a higher revenue generation at Nansoni community which reflected in a high profit margin and ROI. The benefit-cost-ratio suggest a breakeven at Tombu community as Nansoni community showed that it is economically viable. Although the cost of fingerlings was same among the communities, the feed cost varied as a result of some challenges such as fish escapes and mortalities in the Tombu community.
Although the culture in these reservoirs looks promising, however, other challenges such as high feed prices, limited technical knowledge, and climate variability pose risks to sustainability. The study concludes that with appropriate support in terms of credit access, training, and policy interventions, cage fish culture can be a sustainable and profitable enterprise for rural communities in Northern Ghana.
Keywords: cage culture, profitability, small reservoirs, tilapia, Northeast region