The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) received a visit from representatives of national executives of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) on 27 July 2022 to familiarize themselves with FCWC and its activities.

The delegation visited the FCWC Regional MCS Centre to better understand the role it plays in combatting IUU fishing, and to make enquiries about the use of the vessel monitoring system (VMS) in monitoring Ghanaian waters.

They raised concerns about the decline in fisheries and the activities in the industrial sector because they affect the artisanal sector in a manner that makes some fishers likely to explore other methods – including unsustainable and illegal methods – of subsistence. After a demonstration of the functions of the regional VMS, the vessel owners in the group were requested to solicit the help of their colleagues to supply further vessel information to update the system.