FISHERIES AND COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY

UNCLAS ACCRA 000069 FOR OES/PCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ZF KCRM GH SUBJECT: FISHERIES AND COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY UPDATES SUMMARY ¶1. Marine fisheries and coastal zones are topics of discussion included in exchanges on climate change, rising sea levels and increasing coastal populations. Increasing pressure on global fish stocks caused by poor management and enforcement and increasing populations in coastal urban centers continue to impact local, national and regional economies. The science and security challenges continue to mount in Ghana and in the region. END SUMMARY FISHERIES ¶2. The Regional Environmental Officer (REO) met with the Chief Director of the former Ministry of Fisheries on January 23, 2009. Mr. Quaye, an administration hold over for the GoG transition period, implied the Ministry of Fisheries would revert to a Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture. This administrative change was confirmed in a Presidential press release on 24 January 2009. In light of this ministerial change, Mr. Quaye maintained his attitude regarding the importance of the Ghanaian fishing industry. He indicated the fishing industry employs about ten percent of the Ghanaian population and continues to be negatively impacted by illegal pair trawling. He stressed the need for continued support from GoG and the donor community for the eventual construction of 6 cold storage facilities, 2 fishing harbors and 12 landing sites to sustain the Ghanaian fishing industry on an international basis. Mr. Quaye repeated the need for a comprehensive fisheries monitoring and surveillance program and expressed the need for joint maritime-fisheries patrolling. He also mentioned the purchase of six Chinese maritime patrol vessels. He did not elaborate on financial details of the acquisition or the physical characteristics of the new patrol vessels. He thought that new patrol vessels could begin to arrive in Ghana within the next six months. They would be operated by the Ghanaian Navy and there would be trained fisheries observers participating on routine maritime patrols. COMMENT: It would be refreshing to find a joint mission statement supporting combined maritime-fisheries patrolling in the Ghanaian exclusive economic zone. END COMMENT. COASTAL ZONES ¶3. The Ghanaian coastal zone plays an increasingly important role in the accommodation of industry and human domicile. The increased competition for developable land to support industry and human domicile will continue to impact effective coastal zone planning practices. Sustained investment in the Ghanaian coastal zones is necessary. Science and engineering can contribute to proactive coastal zone management policy designed to manage natural resources and sustain infrastructure in the coastal zone. COMMENT: The infrastructure projects mentioned in Para 2 can also be viewed as site specific plans to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion. END COMMENT. The recent USG support ($151,000 USD) provided by DoD to develop an oceanographic research partnership with the University of Ghana will provide meaningful PHD level research for improved understanding of the coastal dynamics in the Ghanaian coastal zone. Additionally, USAID-Ghana has committed $3million USD (bio- diversity funds) to the USAID Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems (SUCCESS) program under the leadership of the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resource Center (URICRC). The program will be focused at about 150 coastal communities along West Coast of Ghana, between Cape Three Points and the Border with Cote d Ivoire. USAID Ghana will provide more details in the coming weeks on this SUCCESS project. ¶4. For further discussion contact Geoffrey Hunt at +233-21- 741- 417 or Patience Charway at +233-21-741-839. TEITELBAUM