Hooked on Sustainability: International partnership raising fish for a sustainable protein source
Friday, December 19, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
Through a partnership among Oklahoma State University, Njala University and the Milburn Foundation, the Sustainable Aquaculture for Food Empowerment project uses fish as a sustainable protein source for families in Sierra Leone, West Africa, said Josephus Borsuah, OSU SAFE director.
“The goal is to provide a stable protein supply using tilapia and catfish to the community,” said Karen Hickman, environmental science director.
SAFE is targeted to people living below the poverty line using fish as a unique protein source, said Aakriti Adhikari, environmental science second year doctoral student.
“The idea of the project is to distribute fish after harvest to local community members in the area to consume, not for sale,” said Karl Rich, Master of International Agriculture Program director.
Within the last 10 years, Sierra Leone’s population has rapidly grown, leading to many people living below the poverty line, Adhikari added.
“Sierra Leone has traditionally been deficient in protein,” Rich said. “We are trying to take advantage of the climate to develop an aquaculture system.
“Aquaculture is the best fit for Sierra Leone,” Rich said. “During the rainy months, Sierra Leone can receive up to 40 inches of rain per month, so aquaculture is both suitable and accepted for the area.”
SAFE was approved in November 2024 and launched the following month, Adhikari said.
The five-year project is expected to end in December 2029.
“In the first year, our goal was to build just four earthen ponds and six concrete ponds, but we ended up constructing six earthen ponds and nine concrete ponds,” Borsuah said. “Each pond is measured 50 by 100 feet and built from natural materials from the earth or concrete to replicate the fish’s natural habitat.”
Njala University’s main campus contains nine concrete ponds, while the Bo campus includes six earthen ponds, Borsuah said.
“Once the ponds are constructed and water quality tested, then it is time for the fish stocking,” Borsuah said.
Each pond is filled from a natural stream connecting to a main water channel between ponds, allowing water to be transferred as needed, Borsuah said.
The ponds are stocked with tilapia and catfish, Hickman said.
Fish and Food Security
Aquaculture helps advance two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through:
2 — Zero Hunger, 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation. Seafood and other alternatives promote sustainable aquaculture and help address food insecurity. Committed to building a resilient and sustainable future through a diverse set of goals that address both environmental and human needs, these priorities include:
Restoring ecosystems and strengthening food security.
Driving innovation and economic growth.
Preserving culture while fostering global collaboration.
Advancing sustainable and efficient food production.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Once the fish reach maturity, they will be processed and distributed to the community, she added.
“The next step of the process is breeding,” Borsuah said. “We do not have the facility to breed fish yet, so we travel to Ghana where we purchase 60,000 fingerlings.”
Fingerlings are young fish and are about the size of a pinky finger, he said.
“After acclimatizing to their new environment, the fish are transported to the grow-out ponds,” Borsuah said.
To promote growth, the fish are provided 2-millimeter pellets, which increase to 6-millimeter pellets overtime, he added.
“Within the next year, we plan to produce our own fish feed to be more efficient,” Borsuah said.
“Once the machine is installed, we’ll train people in the community to use the equipment so they can produce their own,” he said.
The SAFE project’s goal is to reach 60,000 pounds of fish per year, Adhikari said.
“Once the fish reach the proper size, we will harvest, clean, process, package and place the fish into a refrigerated room until distribution time,” Borsuah said.
The first harvest of fish for the local community was distributed in December 2025.
“We want to make sure the target audience are the people who are going to receive the fish,” Borsuah said.
The community members who will receive the fish first are pregnant women, mothers, children and senior citizens, Adhikari said.
“One reason we chose tilapia and catfish was for their fast-growing qualities and tolerance for the environment,” Borsuah said. “After the first harvest, we will know how often we can produce harvests.”
The first local community members training was Fall 2025, Borsuah said. As a result, the team will have 50 locals trained with all the techniques and knowledge needed to farm fish effectively, he said. This way communities can be self-sufficient, Borsuah added.
“Njala University and OSU serve as hosts for technology, providing training to local communities,” Rich said.
“We’re hopeful funding will come through for the next three years, and we have pretty good confidence in that,” Rich said.
The project has already received funding to support its second year, Rich said.
Borsuah has met the people who are going to benefit from SAFE. Seeing the smiles on their faces and how appreciative they are for the project makes it all worth it, he added.
“With our knowledge, time and commitment, I believe we can provide a stable and sustainable protein supply in Sierra Leone,” Borsuah said.
Story by: Karman Newman | Cowboy Journal