The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), Fisheries Commission (FC), and other stakeholders within the Fisheries sector celebrated the 2022 Fish Festival at the Black Star Square in Accra.
The two (2) day event held from the 24th to 25th of November 2022, was opened by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Honorable Mavis Hawa Koomson.
The theme for this year’s fish festival ‘’ Promoting Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for National Development’’ aimed at providing a platform for fishers and stakeholders along the fish value chain to showcase the contributions of their products to National Food Security.
Honorable Mavis Hawa Koomson noted the contribution of the sector in providing livelihoods to over three (3) million Ghanaians along the fisheries and aquaculture value chain accounting for 1.04% to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021.
She also noted that in spite of the sectors enormous contribution to food security; limited access to quality fingerlings, high cost of fish feed, inadequate funding for research and disease outbreak threatens sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development.
Honorable Mavis Hawa Koomson thus entreated fishers to eschew bad fishing practices such as light fishing, use of dynamites among others that threatens the sustainability of the fisheries resources in the long term.
The Minister stated that, 6000 bundles of wire mesh, 20 basins and 5000 outboard motors have been distributed to fishers in a hundred and eighty-nine (189) communities along the coast.
She added that, government has commenced the automation of premix fuel outlets across the country with the construction of three automated premix fuel outlet at Elmina near completion. This is to help address the incidence of premix fuel diversion and hoarding.
Mr. Fred Kwasi Kwasi Antwi-Boadu, Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission informed stakeholders on the institutionalization of a Fisheries and Aquaculture Clinic for networking, exchange of knowledge to gain insight into the dynamics of the Fisheries industry.
The event ended with a float and display of Fiber Glass Canoe on the second day to climax the 2022 year of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and also promote the contribution of small scale fishers in the sector.
Source: Corporate Affairs Unit (FC).