Mr. Antwi-Boadu indicated that the Fisheries Commission, together with its local and international partners, has spearheaded some commendable ongoing initiatives, such as gear audits, close season moratoriums, surveys, and stock assessments, among other research.
He, however, said that these initiatives have proven to be insufficient to bring Ghana’s fisheries to a desirable state.
He said this when speaking at a Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s (GPHA) media forum on strategies for managing fisheries in Ghana.
He noted that currently some ongoing research initiatives include the status of the marine environment, plastic pollution and climate change, industrial trawl gear audit, and modification of the industrial trawl gear.
The Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, talking on the need for Ghana to acquire a fisheries research vessel, disclosed that the Ministry of Finance had pledged to supply his outfit with a research vessel and two patrol boats.
He, however, stated that while the commission waits for the delivery of that promise, there is a need for the industry to consider providing vessels to use for research to help his outfit monitor events in the ocean ecosystem and measure the impact of management activities on fish resources.
He noted that the fact that Ghana does not own a single fisheries research vessel leaves the nation at the mercy of international programs like the EAF-Nansen program, which isn’t under Ghanaian control.
He recalled that a result generated by the University of Rhode Island stressed the urgent need for Ghana to have a fisheries research vessel.
Professor Dennis Aheto, the Director for the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience, University of Cape Coast (ACECoR), supporting the call for the acquisition of a research vessel, noted that it will provide the platform for conducting real-time, on-site observations of marine life and stock assessment.
He said Ghana’s stock assessment relies on the documentation of catches at landing beaches, a situation he said does not show where the fish caught were from.
He, however, stated that looking at the maintenance costs and management of a research vessel, making it a capital-intensive venture, it would be prudent to have it on a regional basis rather than by individual countries.
He said with the transboundary nature of fisheries, a regional approach to managing fisheries resources through data sharing, research collaboration, coordinating, and enforcement.
Prof. Aheto recommended a more integrated approach to policy development that involves stakeholders from academia, industry, and the government.
He said Ghana lacks consistent enforcement of its comprehensive policies and regulations designed to promote sustainability and protect marine resources.
He noted that the disconnect between successful countries and countries like Ghana is enforcement of laws and dedicated funding, adding that over the years, academia has made significant contributions by collaborating with private and international entities to conduct research and participate in coastal management advocacy.
The Director of ACECoR called on the government and industry players to support these efforts through dedicated funding.
Mr. Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, the Executive Director of the Blue Economy and Governance Consult, urged policymakers to follow the guidance of technocrats and collaborate closely with universities, as it is considered the international best practice.
GNA
