The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the opposition Convention People’s Party (CPP), Opare Addo has said the government should have considered embarking on a “One-Village, One Fishpond” initiative instead of the “One-Village, One-Dam.”
His position is that, that initiative would have been more beneficial than the dams.
He explained that, fishponds would have boosted Ghana’s fishery resources and reduce dependence on the marine ecosystem for fish products.
According to him, if fishponds had been established, local communities could have managed them effectively, unlike the current dams, many of which have dried up and provided little benefit.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) “One-Village, One-Dam” initiative is aimed at ensuring a year-round water availability for farming and livestock rearing for smallholder farmers.
It is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Northern Development Authority, and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority.
Speaking at a “Political Parties Dialogue on the Fisheries Sector,” organised by the Centre for Coastal Management at the University of Cape Coast on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Mr. Opare Addo expressed concern over the destruction of inland water sources due to illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey.”
He lamented that many inland fishers have lost their livelihoods as water bodies have become polluted by galamsey, turning them brown and unusable.
The Dialogue
The event provided a platform for political parties to present their policies for the fisheries sector, drawing together experts, fishers, political figures, and civil society organisations.
Mr Addo suggested that aquaculture offers a better alternative to marine fishing, as fish farming can even be done in backyards with proper education.
Drawing on his own experience in fish farming, he described it as an accessible and viable option.
He condemned the destruction of water bodies, calling it an “intentional affliction” caused by citizens, which demands urgent action.