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Ghana tuna bears a significant contribution to Ghana’s economy as it is one of the biggest seafood exports from the fisheries sector. Ghana happens to be among the leading tuna exporters worldwide. Along the coastal zones, there’s a lot of fishing activities that goes on in the country. Fishing plays an essential role in the growth of the country’s economy as it contributes to up to 3% of the GDP.

Tuna are seasonal as there are months when the government declares a closed season for different categories of fishing, e.g. for industrial trawlers or artisanal or canoe fishing. The closed season lasts for approximately two months. It aims at saving some species of fishes because it controls the fishing activities.

As the demand for tuna continues to increase, so does the fisheries industries growth. There are several varieties of commercial tuna that are most common in Ghana. These include yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, and bigeye tuna. Freshness, size, shape and texture are among the few things that determine the demand of the fish.

Pole and line, and purse seine are the two most common forms of tuna fishing in Ghana. More focus is put on the purse seine because pole and line are becoming less profitable. Fish consumption is prevalent in Ghana, especially in those towns that are near the ocean. For the mainland cities fish is consumed as dried or smoked. Ghana tuna is exported in various forms with the most common being as canned tuna. The other forms include fresh tuna or frozen tuna.

Ghana exports almost 12% of its total fish product. Some of the nations that make a significant part of the global market for tuna include the European Union, the United States of America, Benin, Japan, and South Korea, among others. Over the years, the export of tuna from Ghana has continued to be successful because the product is endorsed and approved by the EU.

The ministry of fisheries and aquaculture development also ensures that the fish are of excellent quality by monitoring, controlling and evaluating the safety, fish health and post-harvest activities. The government controls the seasons by declaring the closed seasons and open seasons, which tend to vary each year for different species of fish. In Ghana, most of the fish market participants are women.

Locally, the tuna is consumed in various forms, including it being processed either by smoking or salting or fermentation. Fish makes up for the primary protein source in most households. During the main fishing seasons, there is an increase in the consumption of fresh fish in the coastal and inland areas. In the lean season, the tuna is mostly exported as frozen whereas locally it is consumed as dried or smoked form by the locals.

After harvesting, the fish are cleaned and stored in crates with chilled ice at a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. It is done to ensure that the fish remains fresh.

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