The One Ocean Hub research project team has held a field instrument workshop on ocean governance at the University of Cape Coast.
The research project which involves researchers from various departments at the University of Cape Coast and other institutions seeks to bridge current disconnections in law, science and policy and integrate governance frameworks to balance multiple ocean uses with conservation.
Speaking to ATL FM NEWS on the sidelines at the workshop, the project leader, Professor Benjamin Kofi Nyarko outlined the research packages the group will be undertaking to achieve their objective.
“The hub basically has a vision of integrative ocean governance for equitable and inclusive sustainability so based on these objectives, the group came out with five research packages. One is to look at law and governance, the second is emotional connection with the ocean, then sustainable fisheries, non-fishery resources and the fifth one is on inclusive innovative and responsible blue society” he indicated.
He also urged the government and other stakeholders in the fishery sector to get involved in the project to make the uptake and implementation of their findings easy.
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Professor Nyarko stressed that, “we will be having a high stakeholder meeting with government institutions so that at the end of the project, with the partners that we have gathered, we presuppose that the uptake of our results will be easy. That is very important because research uptake within the country is something like an imposition but we want them to be involved”.
Senior lecturer with the Department of Sociology, also a researcher on the one ocean hub research project Dr. Geogina Yaa Oduro explained that even though several researches have been conducted on Ghana’s ocean, the all-inclusive and diverse nature of their research makes the project applicable and more efficient.
”This approach is different is because previously research when fishery scientists for example approach the project, they approach it very scientifically but this project realized that at the end of the day it is the people, it is the women, the children who are bound to benefit from the outcome of the project” she added.
