![NGOs appeal for more investment in the fisheries sector](http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/xngo.jpg.pagespeed.ic.HbOj0vd2_E.jpg)
By Isaac Arkoh, GNA
Cape Coast, May 31, GNA – A consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the fisheries sector have underlined the need for government to scale up investment to revamp the sector and save it from collapse.
The group including CARE International, Oxfam and Friends of the Nation (FON) also called for strict enforcement of mining laws to control the recent indiscriminate sand mining activities along the coast to protect biodiversity.
They said the unlawful activities of sand miners was having a negative impact on the environment and has affected farming activities and tourism development along the coastline.
The NGOs made this known at the launch of a sustainable fishing project dubbed “far ban bo” meaning protecting fisheries livelihoods to improve food security and empower smallholder fisher folks in Ghana at Cape Coast.
Mr Donkris Mevuta, Executive Director of FON, said “illegal fishing methods” is a major contributory factor in the collapse of the industry, stressing that laws governing fishing were being flouted with impunity.
These unsustainable fishing methods have promoted the use of harmful chemicals and explosives, light and other hazardous substances such as carbide and cyanide.
He identified others to include weak enforcement of laws that has tolerated wasteful over-capitalization, overfishing, habitat destruction, derelict fishing gear or ghost fishing, by-catch open access, conflicts and weak monitoring and surveillance
Mrs Gifty Blekpe, Assistant Country Director of CARE International, said the sector remains the mainstay of over 2.5 million Ghanaians and their dependants and urged the government to take immediate steps the streamline the sector.
He said the revival of the sector could help reduce the growing levels of unemployment among the youth.
Mrs Blekpe said government should consider investment in the sector as part of the national drive to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 14 that commits governments to “conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”
It also mandates member states to effectively regulate fish harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated and other unsustainable fishing practices.
She called on government to collaborate with other non-governmental organisations in the sector namely the World Bank supported West Africa fisheries programme, the USAID Sustainable Fisheries Management Project and the EU- supported “farBanBO” project.
Peace Aba Gavor, Chairperson, Central Regional Fish Processing and Traders Association, called on the government to ensure the constant supply of pre mix fuel and crack down on illegal fishing vessels operating on our coastline.
She thanked the organizers of the programme and pledged to work together with traditional heads and chief fishermen to save the industry from further decline.
GNA
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