Mr Nayon Bilijo, Ghana’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MFAD) said yesterday that, the country needs a legislative instrument to operationalise the Fisheries Act to avoid non-compliance of the regulations in the sector.
My attention has been drawn to the issues of the non-compliance with the provisions of section 93 of the Fisheries Act 2002, Act 625, which requires Fisheries Impact Assessments before any activity other than fishing can be under taken, he said.
He said a process would be initiated to develop the Legislative Instrument and expressed the hope that, civil society groups, the academia and other stakeholders would contribute to its formulation and enactment.
The fishery sector employs 10 per cent of Ghana’s working population and contributes 12 per cent of the agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 4.5 per cent to the overall GDP.
Mr Bilijo made the remarks in a speech at a workshop on a policy dialogue on the oil impact on fisheries and marine resources.
The workshop organised by Corporate Social Responsibility Movement-Ghana and Oil Watch, was on the theme: Impact of Offshore Oil Explosion and Production on Ghana’s Fisheries Sector.
It is to initiate processes at identifying policy challenges militating against the implementation of the provisions in the Fisheries Act 625, identifying key institutions for collaboration in order to address the policy gaps.
Other areas include, developing of road maps for advocacy and engagement, producing of comprehensive report for internal sectoral engagements and enhancing policy coherence in the development of Ghana’s oil sector with properly defined roles.
Mr Bilijo said although the contribution of oil exploration to the country’s economy could not be overemphasised, the role of the fisheries sector must also be acknowledged.
We can neither overlook the present contribution of the fisheries sector to our socio-economic development nor underestimate its potential towards the enhancing of livelihoods of a significant number of Ghanaians, food security, our animal protein needs, foreign exchange earnings among others, he said.
Mr Bilijo said the policy dialogue had come at an opportune time to provide a platform to raise substantial policy issues which needed attention and direction to address the challenges of managing oil and fisheries, particularly regarding the enforcement of and compliance with relevant provisions of Ghana’s laws.
He said the Ministry was of the view that, the forum would offer platforms to the discussion of critical policy and legal issues with far reaching implications for the sustenance of the Fishing Industry.
Mr Bilijo said it was imperative to place the fisheries sector within the proper context of natural resources management and that; he would be very much concerned about many destructive activities especially, illegal mining which would render the country’s natural water bodies unsafe for fish production.
I intend to fall on my past experience in strengthening the Forestry Commission as a Deputy Minister of Lands and Forestry.
He lauded the good works of various stakeholders who have partnered to fight a good cause for the fisheries sector and encouraged them to keep it up.
2013. Ghana Government Portal