Mr Anis Haffar, Founder, Gifted And Talented Education (GATE) Institute, has called for a massive campaign against children's involvement in gambling. He said the rate at which children engaged in gambling, especially sports betting, was alarming, a situation that had led to increased truancy and lack of concentration among students. 'Every leader in this country-every religious leader, every political leader, every educational leader-we should all be on the bandwagon and start 'Say No to Gambling' campaign,' he said. Mr Haffar made the call at the 9th Baraka Policy Institute (BPI) Annual Public Lectures in Accra. The annual lectures started in 2015 and geared towards highlighting critical issues of national concern, especially on education. The 2023 edition was on the theme: 'Towards achieving the SDGs on Education: Tackling social-economic forces against progress in Ghana'. Participants came from various senior high and tertiary institutions, faith-based and civil society organisations, government in stitutions, the private sector, security and law enforcement agencies, media, among others. Speaking on the topic: 'Tackling the dangers of Sports Betting on Education-Policies, Strategies and Actions,' Mr Haffar asked the student participants to become ambassadors and change makers by leading the 'Say No to Gambling' campaign in their schools. He encouraged students to use social media wisely by uploading innovative and problem-solving content whilst avoiding any debasing activities on social media. Mr Haffar called on the Gaming Commission and other relevant regulatory bodies to strictly enforce the laws on gambling with regard to children. Dr Adam Yunus, Head of Research, BPI, noted that, according to the Gaming Act, 2006 (Act 721), a person responsible for a gambling machine shall not permit a child to use the gambling machine or to enter a place where the gambling machine was operated. The Act also says that stationary outdoor advertising shall not be placed within 200 metres of preschools, first an d second cycle schools, children's playground and any other facilities designed for the use of underage persons (Below 18). Dr Yunus noted that, however, some gaming companies were completely violating those laws, a situation that called for urgent attention and action. Mrs Wendy Addy-Lamptey, Head of National Office, West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ghana, said children must change the misconception that betting made people rich and rather realise that the practice made people lose money. She emphasised that because of the addictive nature of betting, it was best for children not to start the practice in the first place. Dr Mohammed-Sani Abdulai, President, Lakeside University College, said tackling children's involvement in gambling required collaboration among government, academia and research institutions, industry, and young people. He proposed the organisation of hackathons where young people could channel their energies productively by building innovative computer programmes. Mr Iddris Yu nus, from the Ghana Immigration Service, urged the media to sensitise young people on the negative effects of sports betting so that it would inspire the youth to avoid the practice. The Baraka Policy Institute is a think tank with special focus on promoting social justice and national development through advocacy and research. Source: Ghana News Agency An analysis of the aquaculture value chain in Tunisia has highlighted the need to improve aquaculture performance and optimise feed management. These analyses, carried out in a pilot project in Monastir as part of the second phase of the "SwitchMed" initiative in Tunisia, revealed an excessive use of fish feed. Performance in aquaculture is measured by a metric known as "feed conversion ratio", which ranges between 1.9 kg and 2.5 kg, while the international benchmark is 1.6 kg. "In this project, we used various technologies to ensure proper food distribution in the cages, reduce fish mortality and increase their growth," explained Benoit Wuatelet, Blue Economy team leader at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), during a workshop on "Innovation and Circularity in Tunisian Aquaculture" on Tuesday. These technologies mainly involve artificial intelligence, using image analysis to identify fish size and accurately measure feed quantities, and remote communication via 4G antennas. The pilot project, which ends in June 2024 and was carried out in collaboration with the private sector, has demonstrated the contribution of innovative and intelligent technologies to improving the economic performance of the aquaculture sector, stressed Mohamed Salah Azaza, director of the National Institute for Research and Technologies of the Sea (INSTM). According to him, these technologies can help reduce the feed conversion ratio (food use and management), which accounts for 60% of aquaculture production costs in Tunisia. The aim is also to significantly reduce the environmental impact, increase the competitiveness of companies and change the perception of consumers, environmental organisations and civil society regarding the image of the aquaculture sector in the country. In Tunisia, around thirty companies are involved in aquaculture, 20 of which specialise in marine fish farming. Exports of aquaculture products range from 10% to 15% of national production, reaching 21,000 tonnes in 2022. The aim is to increase production to 56,000 tonnes by 2030, targeting the European Union (EU), the Gulf countries and Canada. Esma Bounouh, in charge of the Sustainable Development Support Programme for Agriculture and Artisanal Fishing in Tunisia (ADAPT) at the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), spoke about a pound 57 million credit line managed by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) and financial institutions as part of a programme to support the private sector and financial inclusion in agriculture and the social economy (PRASOC). Nearly TND 119 million has already been disbursed, financing 280 projects in the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors and creating 4,000 jobs. Fiscal and financial incentives in the form of grants (ranging from 15% to 50% of investment costs) are also provided. Their annual value is estimated at an average of TND 20 million, according to the Central Director of Investment Incentives at the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (APIA). The Switch Med program me in Tunisia focuses on two sectors: textiles and the blue economy, according to UNIDO's representative in Tunisia, Lassaad Ben Hassine. For textiles and clothing, the aim is to support the private sector by promoting the circular economy, while for the blue economy, the aim is to increase the sustainability of the seafood value chain in Tunisia. Aquaculture production has increased from 3,000 tonnes in 2006 to 21,000 tonnes in 2022, accounting for between 3% and 13% of national fisheries production. In terms of value, production will increase from TND 41 million in 2006 to TND 329 million in 2022, thanks to the implementation of offshore cage fish farming projects. A dozen Tunisian and foreign companies from Denmark, Norway, Greece, Malta, France and Spain will meet with around fifteen aquaculturists to exchange innovative solutions in the field of aquaculture, announced Antonino Trimarchi, SwitchMed/UNIDO programme coordinator for Tunisia and Morocco. SwitchMed is a programme launched by the European Un ion (EU) in eight Mediterranean countries, including Tunisia, to stimulate the creation of new business opportunities and jobs while reducing the environmental impact of existing economic activities in the southern Mediterranean. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse