Accra: The Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Academy is set to enhance the capacity of fishers by establishing monthly dialogue platforms in fishing communities throughout Ghana. These platforms aim to strengthen fisheries co-management and promote the sustainable use of marine resources.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Wisdom Pazzy Mordedzi, the National Coordinator of the SSF Academy, stated that this initiative will empower trained fishers to act as community facilitators. Their role will be to engage chief fishermen, canoe owners, fish processors, traders, and other stakeholders in regular discussions to address the challenges faced by the fisheries sector.
Mr. Mordedzi explained that the dialogue platforms would provide opportunities for fishing communities to develop locally driven solutions that complement government efforts to restore depleted fish stocks and improve fisheries governance. He mentioned that the facilitators would organize monthly sessions to discuss challenges at landing beaches, promote compliance with fisheries laws, and communicate community concerns to the Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The initiative is part of a one-year partnership between Mundus Maris ASBL and the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG). It aims to strengthen community participation in fisheries co-management by translating the provisions of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), into practical community actions.
The SSF Academy recently trained 30 individuals from Ghana's coastal regions to serve as community facilitators under this program. A press statement following the inaugural workshop highlighted the impact of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing on declining fish stocks, affecting artisanal fishers' livelihoods and the sustainability of the country's fisheries resources.
The statement noted that Ghana imports about 80,000 tonnes of fish annually to supplement local production, emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration among government, fishing communities, civil society organizations, traditional authorities, and development partners to reverse this trend.
The monthly dialogue platforms are expected to offer a structured mechanism for communities to identify practical solutions to local fisheries challenges and contribute community perspectives to national fisheries policy and management decisions. Organizers are optimistic that enhancing community participation, increasing awareness of fisheries laws, and promoting dialogue will help rebuild fish stocks and secure sustainable livelihoods for Ghana's small-scale fishing communities.