The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission with support from the United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),  organized a three-day conference, from August 19-21, 2019, in Accra to highlight and discuss successes, lessons learned, opportunities, and challenges in the fisheries sector in Ghana.

The conference, entitled “Fisheries and Coastal Management in Contemporary Times,” was designed to strengthen policy linkages and create a platform for fostering discussion among policymakers, resource managers, fishermen and fishmongers, researchers, journalists, and think tanks in connection with the sustainability and productivity of the fisheries sector in Ghana.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye; Executive Director of Fisheries Commission, Mr. Michael Arthur Dadzie, and USAID/Ghana’s Acting Deputy Mission Director, Janean Davis delivered remarks at the event commending the Ministry for taking steps to improve fisheries in Ghana.

Ms. Janean Davis, noted that “Together, we can help put in place the necessary structures and processes to consolidate the gains we’ve made in the fisheries sector over the past five years.”

The conference presented an opportunity to share and exchange information and discuss new scientific findings related to fisheries and coastal management. Major issues and topics discussed related to the closed season, oil and gas development, trans-shipment, sanitation, ocean governance, the blue economy, livelihoods, child labor and human trafficking as well as social resilience in coastal areas.