Fishing is a major sector of Ghana’s economy. It currently accounts for 1.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment for an estimated 2.5 million people.
However, the sector is faced with a number of challenges that threatens the livelihoods of its dependants.
To enhance the socio-economic livelihoods of fishing communities within some selected districts of Ghana’s coastal savannah zones, 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, Matilda Quist, Director of Marine, Fisheries Management Division of the Fisheries Commission, who launched the Project 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.
On his part, the Director, West Africa of CERATH Development Organisation, 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.”
He also stated that the organization 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.