The Fisheries Programmes Manager at the Environmental Justice Foundation, Theophilus Boachie-Yiadom, has expressed concern about the high rate of solid waste such as plastics, bottles, and other debris being deposited into the ocean.
According to him, over 10 million Ghanaians involved in the fishery industry are at risk of losing their source of livelihood and the country may lose its oil discovery.
Mr Boachie-Yiadom indicated that government must enforce laws and regulations to control illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing in Ghana’s territorial waters.
He also called on the Judiciary to administer justice according to the law when such cases are reported and urged politicians not to intervene if persons affiliated with their parties get arrested for the act.
He made this known at a grassroots capacity-building programme for those in the fishery value chain at Cape Coast to mark 2023 World Ocean Day which was under the theme: ‘Planet Ocean: Tides are changing.’
The Sustainable Ocean Project is a three-year project being funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation that seeks to build grassroots capacity for a sustainable ocean economy in Ghana.
The programme seeks to have a resilient and sustainable ocean economy in Ghana achieved through inclusive, strong, and effective capacity, planning, and management of coastal ecosystems.
The implementing partners of Sustainable Ocean Projects are the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) headed by Hen Mpoano, Friends of the Nation and CEWEFIA work together to reduce the decline in fish stocks, improve the income of fishing communities and address the effects of climate change on fisheries in Ghana.
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