The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, has said the recent decline in annual yields of small pelagic from approximately 130,000 metric tonnes (MT) 10 years ago to about 30,000 MT has forced the government to review the fisheries acts.
She said the reasons for this drastic decline included over-fishing, unreported and unregulated fishing practices.
Addressing gathering of journalists at the beginning of a five-day Fisheries Management Training put together by the Ministry and Centre for Coastal Management and Nature, she said the training would help contribute positively to the national cause.
“I am informed that the short course will discuss issues of (1) Fisheries Management; (2) Closed Season: At Whose Cost and for Whose Benefits?; (3) Closed Seasons: Implications for Fisheries Management in Ghana; (4) Community-Based Fisheries Management;(5) Legal aspects; (6) Tools for Managing Fisheries; and (7) Post-harvest issues (processing, loss, marketing, transport, storage, etc.).
“Discussions on these topics are of great national significance at this critical time when key stakeholders — government, fisheries practitioners, scientists, and the private sector — are deeply concerned about the decline in fisheries output, and the ongoing coastal degradation.
“Government is tackling the issues head-on, including a review of the Fisheries Act to reflect current needs and trends; the new policy on co-management is also far advanced in its drafting,” she noted.
Mrs. Quaye, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Krowor, said, “the contributions of the government and my ministry [have resulted in the establishment of] the Anomabo Fisheries College to be run under the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
“The College is anticipated to begin next academic year (2020/2021) and will seek to promote the training of fisheries artisans, including boat and net maintenance technicians, and provide certification for fishermen in fisheries management.
“I am reliably informed that the curriculum is completed and also covers degree training from undergraduate to the Ph.D. level at the College.
“I want to commend UCC for its contribution to the government’s effort on this score. I wish to encourage participants to visit the premises of the College, should you have the space to do so within the course period.”
