PESCAO: A European Union mission visits the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea

Photo- Mrs Benoist BAZIN, Christopher ACKON (EU representatives), Mr Seraphin Dedi (FCWC Secretary General) and FCWC personnel

Mrs Benoist BAZIN and Christopher ACKON, respectively Head of infrastructure and sustainable development section and Program Manager of the European Union delegation in Ghana, visited the Secretariat of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) as part of preparations for the implementation of the project ‘IMPROVED REGIONAL FISHERIES GOVERNANCE IN WEST AFRICA’ (PESCAO).

PESCAO initiative developed at the level of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be implemented through Regional Fisheries Organizations (RFOs) of this region, in particular the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (CPCO).

The overall objective of PESCAO will be to enhance the contribution of fisheries resources to sustainable development, food security and poverty alleviation in West Africa and as a specific objective to improve regional fisheries governance in West Africa through better coordination of national fisheries policies.

The grant to the FCWC by the European Union for the implementation of this project is 1, 120 million Euro over a period of five (5) years and will be used for the development of a fisheries and aquaculture policy, strengthening countries capacities in Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) at the regional and national levels, improving inter-State cooperation to better combat IUU fishing, and build countries resilience to promote good governance of fisheries in the area covered by the initiative.

In addition, FCWC’s Secretary General, Mr Séraphin Dedi, declared that ‘the FCWC is committed to take necessary actions and facilitate procedures for a diligent implementation of the project which should reinforc achievements and open perspectives for sustainable management of fisheries resources in the sub region.