RESEARCHERS at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) have expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of antibiotics by some fish farmers, saying the practice is posing a growing public health risk and fuelling antimicrobial resistance.
The researchers said the practice was contaminating water bodies and causing antibiotic residues to accumulate in fish, which could contribute to antibiotic resistance in people who consume them.
The Head of the Department of Fisheries and Water Resources at UENR, Dr Seyramsarah Blossom Setufe, raised the concern at the university's annual research project exhibition and stakeholder engagement in Sunyani last Wednesday on the theme:
"Partnering Innovative Research in Natural Resources for Sustainable Development".
Risks to human health
Dr Setufe said the research conducted in the Sunyani Municipality found that some fish farmers were indiscriminately pouring antibiotics into fish ponds and water bodies to control bacterial infections and reduce fish mortality.
She said the study covered active fish farms in Abesim, Kotokrom, Odumasi, Notre Dame, Fiapre and Baakoniaba in the municipality.
She said the drugs were often applied without professional guidance, with effluents eventually finding their way into the environment.
According to her, the practice allowed antibiotic residues to accumulate in fish tissues, exposing consumers to the drugs over time.
"When people consume such fish, the antibiotics bioaccumulate in their bodies. Eventually, when they develop bacterial infections and are prescribed antibiotics such as amoxicillin, the drugs may no longer be effective because the body has developed resistance," she explained.
Dr Setufe described antimicrobial resistance as a growing public health concern, stressing that the continued misuse of antibiotics in aquaculture could reduce the effectiveness of medicines used to treat bacterial infections.
Stricter regulation
She said the research team called for stricter regulation of antibiotic use in fish farming and stronger collaboration among farmers, veterinary institutions and health regulatory bodies to promote responsible practices.
"We are appealing to fish farmers to consult veterinary institutions and relevant regulatory agencies so they can be guided on the responsible use of antibiotics whenever disease outbreaks occur," she said.
Dr Setufe encouraged farmers to adopt organic alternatives for disease management, including the use of natural plant materials such as bitter leaves, where scientifically appropriate, instead of relying solely on antibiotics.
She said continuous education and awareness creation would help farmers adopt safer and more sustainable disease management practices.
She urged fish farmers to adopt better and safer ways of managing fish health without compromising the environment and public health.
Solving societal challenges
In a speech read on his behalf, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, said research should go beyond dissertations and journal publications to provide practical solutions to societal challenges.
He explained that its value lay not only in dissertations and journal publications but also in its ability to inform policy, drive innovation and improve livelihoods.
The Dean of the School of Natural Resources, Prof. Daniel Akoto Sarfo, said the exhibition was intended to strengthen collaboration among academia, government, industry, communities and development partners to ensure that research findings were translated into practical solutions for sustainable natural resource management.
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