Almost all of the tilapia produced in Ghana is consumed locally, making tilapia aquaculture crucial for the region’s food security. Yet, robust and cost-effective methods for monitoring pathogens are lacking.
Traditional pathogen detection tools identify a single pathogen at a time, with costs scaling quickly as each pathogen is being screened. An affordable alternative to targeted pathogen detection would support tilapia aquaculture in Ghana by helping to reduce infectious disease outbreaks, improve farm yields, all while reducing farm operational costs.
With the support of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Innovate UK, UK based Esox Biologics has announced that it is leading an international consortium on an innovative project to achieve these goals.
The company is collaborating with Francisco Murillo, CEO of Tropo Farms Ltd., Ghana’s largest tilapia farm, and Ulisses Pereira of State University of Londrina in Brazil.
By analysing the total microbiome with metagenomics, rather than targeting individual pathogens, the consortium aims to establish a metagenomics assay specifically for tilapia farms, so that producers can identify all tilapia pathogens from a single sample of water.
The successful implementation of this technology will significantly reduce the number of samples required to detect the pathogens that routinely affect tilapia production.
Francisco Murillo, CEO of Tropo Farms, believes tilapia farming is essential if aquaculture is to sustain a growing population and thinks total microbiome analysis is one of the many areas that will support this vital sector:
“The FAO estimates that Africa must increase aquaculture production by 74% by 2050 to maintain current consumption per capita. We believe focusing on fish welfare will increase our production performance, which is why we’re excited to join this consortium and help to develop a tool that will improve tilapia welfare by enhancing our pathogen detection efforts.”
This project is supported by the Climate Smart Agriculture Partnership: UK–Brazil–Africa, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by Innovate UK.
Murillo added,
“At Tropo Farms Ltd, we believe innovation and collaboration are essential to the future of aquaculture in Ghana and beyond. We are proud to be part of this groundbreaking consortium supported by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Innovate UK — working with global partners to pioneer metagenomics technology for tilapia farming.
“By moving beyond single-pathogen testing, this approach will enable farmers to detect multiple pathogens from a single water sample, strengthening fish welfare, improving yields, and reducing operational costs.” Tilapia is central to Africa’s food security, and investing in better health monitoring tools is key to scaling aquaculture sustainably. Together, we’re building solutions today for the food systems of tomorrow.
Tropo Farms is Ghana’s largest tilapia producer and a leading name in African aquaculture. With over two decades of experience, the company employs innovative farming techniques to deliver high-quality tilapia that addresses the rising protein demands in the region. As the first company to establish operations on Lake Volta, Tropo Farms has played a pivotal role in developing Ghana’s aquaculture industry, which now produces an estimated 100,000 tonnes annually. This growth has created thousands of skilled jobs for local communities, bolstering the economy and enhancing food security.
