Accra, Ghana//-The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has called for a renewed interest in small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to eradicate poverty and food insecurity in Ghana.
To this end, the UN body implored all state and non-state actors and development partners to take a renewed interest in that sector in their development assistance for food security and nutrition, poverty eradication and natural resource sustainability in Ghana and other parts of the world.
The FAO Representative to Ghana (OiC), Ndiaga Gueye made this call at the launch of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022) in Accra.
Artisanal fisheries and their activities
According to him, artisanal fisheries and aquaculture is most practiced on small scale levels with players having relatively small capital investment. The activities of artisanal fisheries including fisheries, fish mongers and other value chain actors are commonly managed at family or communal levels.
In other words, the works of artisanal fishers are done largely to provide food to the community while providing livelihoods and jobs for actors along the value chain.
It is an important contributor to the local economy and provides jobs for men, women and youth in the country, Gueye noted.
“Though the importance and value of artisanal fisheries and aquaculture cannot be overemphasized it has not garnered the necessary recognition it duly deserves globally”.
So, it is heartwarming to celebrate small scale artisanal fishermen, fish farmers, fish processors and fish hands who in no small terms continue to play significant roles in the way fish and fisheries products are produced, processed and distributed with rippling benefits on the food system in Ghana who also have ramifications across the global food system, he stated.
IYAFA 2022
The IYAFA 2022 according to Mr Gueye seeks to promote awareness about the importance of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in Ghana and beyond, while providing the necessary platforms for state and non-state actors to deliberate and strengthen policy options for moving the sector forward.
It is important to advocate and promote programmes aimed at small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture at the local government level to improve their production capacities and widen their livelihood opportunities with the aim of expanding the local economy and contributing to food security.
“Stakeholders present here, especially we are directly involved in the artisanal space. Need to collaborate more often at different levels and come together to work for a world in which small scale artisanal fisheries, fish farmers and fish workers are fully recognized and empowered to continue their contributions for human wellbeing, food system which helps to reduce poverty and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
Performing the launch, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson added that the United Nations General Assembly had declared 2022 as IYAFA 2022 to recognize the significant contributions of the millions of small scale artisanal fishers, fish processors and fish traders and all other fish workers in providing healthy and nutritious food to billions of people.
Importance of fish to diet
She noted that; “fish plays a major component in our diet in Ghana. The average Ghanaian consumes about 24kg of fish annually, which is higher than the world’s average of 16kg, making it evident that fish is the principal source of low cost protein in Ghana”.
Despite the risk and labour intensive nature of their work, our gallant fishers work tirelessly to ensure availability of fish all year round, hence the high consumption pattern of fish in Ghana”, she added.
Currently, Ghana’s fisheries resources are over exploited. However Mrs Koomson said her ministry is pursuing long term measures to protect the fisheries resources, ensure recovery of the over exploited fish stocks and accelerate growth in the aquaculture subsector.
Interventions
Some of the major interventions directed at the small scale fisheries and aquaculture, she mentioned include-annual closed season to ensure recovery of fish stocks; introduction of Aquaculture for Food and Jobs programme to boost farmed fish production; supply of socio-economic incentives such as fishing inputs, fish feeds, fingerlings and deep freezers; rollout of the Canoe Identification Cards to regulate access to the resource; and development of fish landing sites and harbours for safety of crafts and hygienic fish handling among others.
The minister added that the ministry beginning 2022, is instituting an annual National Fish Festival to celebrate fishers, fish farmers, fish processors and traders to create awareness on value added fish products.
Guidelines launched
Mrs Koomson also used the occasion to launch FAO Voluntary Guides for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication.
Ghana is one of the countries that benefited under the FAO-NORAD project “Enhancing the contribution of small scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihood through better policies, strategies and initiatives”.
Under the project, she said audio visuals production, translations and printing of simplified versions of the guidelines and interactive training modules on best practices were produced.
These products Mrs Koomson indicated had been translated into Nzema, Fante, Ga, Ewe, Dangbe and Gonja languages to deepen the understanding of stakeholders on the guidelines which adopt the Human Right Based Approach to all matters affecting livelihood in the fishing communities.
Solidarity messages
In solidarity messages from the fisheries sector associations, the President of the National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council, Jacob Kabore Tetteh Ageke, threw their weight behind the IYAFA 2022 and its activities.
He used the opportunity to fully support the new policy of the government and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to set up an automation system for the distribution of Premix fuel in the country.
According to him, the automation of the distribution of premix fuel would eliminate the incessant smuggling, hoarding and hijacking of the product to ensure equitable distribution to the Fishers and prevent the activities of a ‘cartel of dubious persons’ who engage in the negative practices to the detriment of the poor fisher folks.
African Eye Report
