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China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
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The European Union says it is poised to giving the required support to the fisheries sector in a bid to contribute to food security, nutrition and improvement in the livelihoods of fishingcommunities in Ghana.
To this end, the EU has rolled out certain mechanisms to combat all forms of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in the country under its Far Ban Bo (Protecting Fisheries Livelihoods) Project.
The Project is being implemented by a consortium of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) namely Care International, Friends of the Nation (FoN) and OXFAM, with funding from the EU.
Mr Roberto Schiliro, the Head of Sector Infrastructure and Sustainable Development of the EU, said this during a durbar of fishers, fishmongers, fisheries enforcement units, NGOs and traditional rulers at Dixcove and Anomabo in the Western and Central regions respectively.
The durbar, which formed part of a three-day verification visit to the two regions, coincided with the World Fisheries Day celebration at Dixcove, under the theme: "Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing - The Role of Stakeholders.”
Mr Schiliro said the importance of the fisheries sector to the Ghanaian economy could not be over-emphasised with the benefits including food security, nutrition, employment, income, foreign exchange and support to families.
He, however, said the fisheries sector was undergoing some challenges, which were contributing to the gradual decline of the sector resulting in low landings thereby increasing poverty of coastal fishing communities.
He noted with grave concern that; "Too many fishing vessels with unrestricted access, weak governance among others, are some factors which account for the decline".
