Sewage Fish Culture as an Alternative to Address the Conflict between Hunters and Hunting Communities in Northern Region

Abstract: The people of Tamale in the Northern region of Ghana also hunt as a recreational or traditional or hobby at weekends during the dry season. Wild animals are indiscriminately killed and this poses a threat to the wildlife populations in the country. The conflict between hunters and hunting communities, the dangers involved in communal hunting, the occasional loss of lives, the destruction of the plant cover and the burning of farms is an indication that an alternative is necessary. Sewage fish culture is one of such alternatives. Human faeces are an effective fattening diet for fish.  Sewage-fed ponds contain high levels of N, P, Ca, and K (Pacey, 1978) and can produce as high as 7-10 t/ha/yr of fish (FAO, 1994) depending on the sewage retention time (Kalbermatten et al., 1982). The use of sewage for fish culture has the potential to defray the costs of sanitation and sewage treatment processes in Tamale and other towns and cities in Ghana.