It was a thrilling day of training for those involved in the fisheries sector as they came together to enhance their skills and knowledge.
This vibrant initiative by the Environmental Justice Foundation “EJF” aimed to boost the fisheries sector key actors’ capacity in fast-tracking fisheries prosecution, ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for our waters.
Furthermore, the training aims to identify the challenges faced by stakeholders in the fisheries sector and to enhance their capacity in prosecuting these cases.
The Fisheries sector’s key actors primarily include the Ghana Navy, the Marine Police Unit, the Marine Control and Surveillance teams, and the Monitoring Control and Surveillance Division of the Fisheries Commission in handling fisheries-related prosecutions.
According to Programs Manager at the Environmental Justice Foundation “EJF”, *Mr. Osei-Akoto Nyantakyi*, it has been observed that these key players in the fisheries sector often struggle to effectively address marine-related cases and fisheries infractions, particularly as Ghana’s fish stocks are dwindling.
He did not opt that this situation has prompted several proposed interventions, some of which have shown progress while others have not performed as well.
Mr. Osei-Akoto Emphasized that the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is working to understand why prosecutions related to fisheries matters are not advancing as expected.
“There appears to be a lack of familiarity with fisheries laws, as well as a need for a better understanding of mainstream regulations,” He added.
He mentioned that the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is addressing the challenges faced by key players in the fisheries sector by continuously providing training to enhance their operations.
Mr. Osei-Akoto Nyantakyi urged the government to support these key players in the fisheries sector by providing equipment, particularly to the Ghana Navy, to help monitor and track fishermen engaged in illegal fishing in Ghana’s waters.
End.
