The Fisheries Programmes Manager at the Environmental Justice Foundation who also doubled as the coordinator for Sustainable Oceans Project which seeks to build capacity for a sustainable ocean economy in Ghana Theophilus Boachie-Yiadom has expressed concern about high rate of solid wastes such as plastics, bottles and other wastes being deposited into the ocean which is having negative impact on the country’s marine resources such as the oil discovery and the ocean economy. Theophilus Boachie-Yiadom is also concerned about government failure to enforce laws and regulations to control illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in Ghana’s territorial waters. He expressed concern about delay in judiciary in handling cases that are brought before them.
He also touched on practices where politicians intervene on behalf of those who are arrested for engaging in illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing because they are their political party members. According to him, if this is not seriously address, over 10% Ghanaians whose livelihood depend on marine resources will lose their employment and most especially, the country will lose it oil discovery. He made the call when the foundation organized 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 (Norad) that seeks to build grassroots capacity for a sustainable ocean economy in Ghana. The programme seek to have 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 Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Hen Mpoano, Friends of the Nation and CEWEFIA will work to reduce decline in fish stocks, improve income of fishing communities and address the effects of climate change on fisheries in Ghana.
