Hen Mpoano’s innovative clam depuration technology gained national attention during a visit by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Emelia Arthur, to Kponkpo in the Ada East District as part of her ongoing inland fisheries tour.
The depuration system considered one of the first of its kind within West Africa’s clam fisheries sector is being piloted by Hen Mpoano to improve clam safety, quality, and market value through purification processes that help reduce contamination, especially sand particles before products reach consumers.
The ministerial delegation included the Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, Prof. Benjamin Campion, the Director for Inland Fisheries, and the Member of Parliament for the Ada Constituency, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah, who pledged support toward strengthening the clam fisheries sector and the livelihoods it supports.
The delegation was welcomed and taken through the facility by Hen Mpoano Director, Kofi Agbogah, who highlighted the organization’s efforts to use innovation and community-centered approaches to improve livelihoods, food safety, and economic opportunities within Ghana’s clam industry.
During the visit, the Minister and her entourage were taken through the various purification and processing stages of the system, while discussions focused on making the technology locally accessible so that community members themselves can operate and manage it sustainably.
The Minister described the initiative as a positive step toward building a stronger inland fisheries sector and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the Ministry and Hen Mpoano. She further encouraged additional partnerships and investments to improve processing, training opportunities, and market access within the clam value chain.
Community members, clam harvesters, and processors also used the opportunity to call for greater attention to be given to the clam industry, particularly in areas such as access to capital, market support, and skills training.
The depuration system was developed under the Sustainable Oceans Project (SOP), with technical support from the West Africa Shellfish Knowledge and Outreach Hub (Shellfish Hub) of the Centre for Coastal Management (ACECoR), University of Cape Coast. Hen Mpoano serves as one of the implementing partners under the SOP consortium.
Following the success of the pilot, Hen Mpoano is exploring opportunities to replicate the innovation in another clam fishing community in the Volta Region under the newly launched EMPoWER Project, which seeks to strengthen livelihoods and promote sustainable fisheries development.
Photo credit : Ministry of Fisheries And Aquaculture (MoFA)
Written by Doe Bona-Mensah
