The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and its development partners have launched an alternative livelihood training support to equip with entrepreneurial skills 1,350 fishers in selected communities along the coast of Ghana.
The training support is in carpentry, masonry, dress-making, hairdressing, electronics, auto engineering among others.
This alternative livelihood training support, according to the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson is a way of reducing the pressures that fishers and fish traders experience during close seasons and to provide them with an alternative source of income.
She revealed this at the 2023 closed-season ceremony held at the Elmina-Fishing Harbour on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
Meanwhile, with regards to the alternative livelihood training support, Madam Hawa Koomson says the support will be expanded to include more people and a start-up support will be provided for the beneficiaries.
“This training will be scaled up to cover 8,350 fishers adn after the training, trainees will be supported to set up to ensure that they can earn incomes from their trade,” she stressed.
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She further encouraged fishers, especially the youth to embrace this opportunity and enrol in the program.
Closed Season
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission since 2016 have been organizing the closed fishing season as a fish stock recovery and replenishing strategy in accordance with Section 84 of the Fisheries Act 2002, Act 625.
With this year’s closed season, Canoe and Inshore Fishers will observe it from 1st – 31st of July, 2023 while Industrial Trawlers will take their turn from 1st to 31st August, 2023.
For the first time since the inception of the closed fishing season, Ghana’s neighbouring country, Cote D’Ivoire has joined Ghana in the observance of the season.
Madam Hawa Koomson hopes that Togo and Benin will also participate in the 2024 closed fishing season.
She, however, added that in order to ensure compliance of the directives among the fishers in Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire, a joint fishing patrol will be undertaken.
“Under the auspices of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), a joint fishing patrol operations will be undertaken by the Navy of the two countries to ensure, among others, compliance to the closed fishing season,” she said.
While declaring the closed season, the Sector minister stated that “The livelihoods of over 3 million people and 180 fishing communities that depend on the fisheries resources are being threatened by depletion or decline of fish stock.”
“The scientific community, including the works of the late Professor Yankson and FAO Scientific Working Group, has recommended the implementation of fisheries management measures including closed fishing season, to ensure recovery and the rebuilding of depleted fish stocks, to avoid collapse of the fishing industry,” Madam Hawa Koomson noted.
The Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan on her part, appealed to the fishers to comply with the directives of the closed season and also charged the police force to enforce compliance with the directives to help fully achieve its intended purpose of the exercise.
Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
