Partnering for the future of fishing

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed approximately $24 million US dollars to the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP).

SNV is part of the consortium of international and local partners, led by the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) at the University of Rhode Island - USA, which will implement the food security programme in Ghana.

The objective of this five-year project (October 2014-October 2019) is to rebuild Ghana’s marine fisheries stocks and catches through the adoption of responsible fishing practices. The project contributes to the Government of Ghana’s fisheries development objectives and USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative goals of improved food security, economic growth and poverty alleviation.

The USAID/Ghana SFMP aims to end overfishing of some key marine fish stocks like herrings, sardinella and anchovies, which are crucial to local food security; and this, will be done by:
1. Improving the legal enabling conditions for effective collaborative management of marine resources, use rights and effort-reduction strategies;
2. Increasing the use of science and applied research to inform decision making and to strengthen enforcement;
3. Heightening public awareness of fisheries issues to build public and political support needed to rebuild fish stocks; and
4. Implementing applied management initiatives for several targeted fisheries ecosystems.

The SFMP will also contribute to the strengthening of marine and fisheries management capabilities at the University of Cape Coast and coastal spatial planning capacity of districts in the Central and Western Regions. Project activities will include helping to reduce child labor and trafficking in the fisheries sector in the Central Region and assisting women processors and marketers to promote improved fish smoking and processing techniques.

This article is based on a press release issued by the Coastal Resources Center of the University of Rhode Island, USA.