Sustainable management of fisheries and the coastal zone of Ghana
The marine and coastal resources of Ghana exist within a very fragile ecosystem well endowed with natural resources which are exploited by different sectors of the economy. Landward, the area includes major landforms and ecosystems such as lagoons, marshes, estuarine swamps. Seaward, the boundary is determined as the limit of Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles).
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The primary activity of the zone is fishing, contributing about 1.7 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product. Other activities of economic importance that occur in the zone are agriculture, transportation, salt production, oil and gas exploration, sand and stone winning, recreational and industrial developments. The zone is also known to be important internationally, as feeding, roosting and nesting sites for thousands of birds, especially migratory species.
Ghana’s coastal zone represents about 6.5 per cent of the land area of the country, yet houses 25 per cent of the nation’s population. This small strip of land now hosts about 80 per cent of the industrial establishments in Ghana. The primary sources of land-based pollution of the marine environment come from industries and human settlements along the coast and these wastes tend not to be treated. The country's coastal zone, especially estuaries and lagoons, is therefore highly degraded and used for the disposal of industrial and municipal wastes, an activity that is being given urgent attention. On the other hand, the primary sources of sea-based pollution of the marine environment are discharges of untreated wastes from ships and other vessels and oil from oil tankers. Environmental degradation of coastal areas has, therefore, been identified as a key issue in Ghana’s Environmental Action Plan.
Challenges
Aside from the environmental challenges, Ghana’s fisheries sector is plagued with massive overcapacity of fleet, resulting in excess competition over the limited fish resources, declining productivity, economic inefficiency and depressed fisher incomes. According to the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, “By improving governance of marine fisheries, society could capture a substantial part of this $50 billion annual economic loss. Through comprehensive reform, the fisheries sector could become a basis for economic growth and the creation of alternative livelihoods in many countries. At the same time, a nation’s natural capital in the form of fish stocks could be greatly increased and the negative impacts of the fisheries on the marine environment reduced.”
Fisheries management draws on fisheries science in order to find ways to protect fishery resources to ensure sustainable exploitation. Modern fisheries management is often referred to as a governmental system of appropriate management rules based on defined objectives and a mix of management means to implement the rules, which are put in place by a system of monitoring control and surveillance. The sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources is encouraged through legislation, regulations, education and awareness creation programmes, as well as the enforcement of existing regulations and legislation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, “Fisheries management should be based explicitly on political objectives, ideally with transparent priorities.”
Typical political objectives when exploiting a fish resource are to:
• maximise sustainable biomass yield
• maximise sustainable economic yield
• secure and increase employment
• secure protein production and food supplies
• increase export income.
Such political goals can also be a weak part of fisheries management, since the objectives can conflict with each other. In Ghana, for example, traditional fisheries management arrangements have in some places worked better than political arrangements. Failures of political fisheries management and institutional shortcomings have, sometimes, been covered up by traditional fisheries management arrangements or institutions. However, these institutions (political and traditional) have also, in recent times, failed to successfully manage the growing challenges in the fisheries sector.
It is in the light of these environmental and fisheries management challenges that the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building Support Project, are calling for policy and research dialogues to facilitate the sustainable management of fisheries and coastal zone of Ghana.
Specific tasks
• Conduct assessment of relevant fisheries and coastal management issues for policy and research dialogues at the district, regional and national levels;
• Facilitate round-table meetings with policy makers for discussions on the above issues;
• Develop policy briefs on fisheries & coastal issues and best practices emanating from the meetings;
• Facilitate a conference of researchers to discuss sustainable fisheries and coastal management issues in Ghana;
• Facilitate linkages among personnel in relevant government agencies and researchers in Ghana and
• Document and share with stakeholders examples of best practices in fisheries and coastal management in Africa.