The Fisheries Sector plays an important role in Ghana’s socio-economic development by accounting for 1.2% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, the sector faces a number of challenges which threatens the livelihoods of its dependents.
In its bid to enhance the socio-economic livelihoods of the fishing communities within selected districts of the Coastal Savannah Zones of Ghana, Management of CERATH Development Organisation with funding from the European Union has launched the Power to the Fishers Project under the Civil Society Organisation in Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development.
The project areas include Effutu Municipal, Awutu Senya, Ekumfi, Gomoa West and Shama districts.
Addressing participants at the launch, Ms Matilda Quist, Director of Marine, Fisheries Management Division of the Fisheries Commission, who launched the Project at a workshop on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, commended the EU Mission to Ghana for their support to the fisheries sector.
She said the Project is a much welcome initiative that would empower the coastal youth and women, build capacity towards sustainable fishing and fish processing practices.
Ms Quist further noted if such collaborative efforts are not encouraged, “the challenges and their resultant negative impacts on the Fisheries Sector, could lead to the near-collapse of the sector.”
The Director also stated that to ensured that processors produce high quality smoked fish for the domestic and international market, 250 improved fish smoking technology ‘Ahotor Ovens’ were distributed to fish processors.
The Director, West Africa of CERATH Development Organisation, Mr Paa Kofi Osei-Owusu, said Ghana’s fishery sector was on the decline and there is the need for urgent collective action to address the challenges.
He said, “the collective action requires that as sector partners, our interventions are collaborative and also it fills the gaps within the sector.”
The Director said the organisation was implementing the project to add on to the plethora of initiatives aimed at enhancing the country’s fishery sector.
“What we are doing is to work as collaborative partners and work with other key institutions to get a real active commitment from government to fight against this menace because that threatens, not only the livelihood of our people but again it also threatens the lives of generations to come. As an organization we are also working hand in hand with the fisheries commission and the Ministries and Aquaculture to ensure the collective efforts,” he said.
