By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Earth Journalism Network and the Ghana Agriculture and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA) have jointly launched a project code-named “Save Our Sea” (SOS) to highlight underreported issues negatively affecting Ghana’s marine environment and its resources.
The initiative is to support the country’s efforts to achieve the 30×30 conservation target by 2030 in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Adopted in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal framework is a landmark United Nations agreement aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, with specific targets for protecting oceans and ecosystems.
The framework calls for the conservation and management of at least 30% of the world’s lands, inland waters, and coastal and marine areas by 2030, while promoting sustainable management that protects marine biodiversity and supports economic activities.
About the ‘Save Our Sea’ project
The $10,000 “Save Our Sea” project, which will be implemented over a six-month period, aims to empower members of GARDJA to focus special coverage on issues affecting the sea and its resources, including fish stocks, fisheries regulations, enforcement and compliance, as well as inland fishing and livelihoods dependent on the resource.
The launch of the project in Kumasi coincided with the first phase of the initiative, which involved building the capacity of selected journalists to better prepare them for their assignments.
The Deputy Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, Berchie Asiedu, disclosed that John Dramani Mahama is expected to officially declare 21 communities within the Cape Three Points catchment area as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), where fishing activities will be restricted.
Prof. Asiedu explained that the declaration of the MPA, scheduled for later this month, will restrict fishers from operating within the protected zone. The objective, he said, is to create a safe haven for fish to reproduce and grow. He added that more communities could be brought under the MPA over time.
The Fisheries Commission official also told the correspondent that Ghana currently imports about 52% of the fish consumed in the country, at an estimated annual cost of between $200 million and $400 million.
He said the government is therefore developing the aquaculture sub-sector to increase local fish production and meet national consumption needs.
Prof. Asiedu praised the SOS project and its partners, noting that the initiative will help advance national efforts to protect marine ecosystems and aquatic life.
The Country Coordinator of the Earth Journalism Network, Charles Smith, explained that GARDJA’s proposal was approved based on the association’s record of advocacy in the cocoa and coffee sub-sectors. He expressed hope that the SOS project would help Ghana make progress toward achieving the 30×30 conservation target by 2030.
“About 10% of the national population depend on the sea for their livelihoods. Besides, almost every home in Ghana, in one way or another, consumes fish,” Mr Smith said.
The National President of GARDJA, Richmond Frimpong, said the association is focusing attention on the fisheries sub-sector because of its importance to the nutrition and livelihoods of many Ghanaians.
He announced that participating journalists will undertake field trips to selected coastal communities in the Greater Accra Region and Central Region to interact with artisanal fishers, fishmongers and other stakeholders in the fishing industry.
The visits, he said, will help journalists better understand the challenges facing the sector and highlight them in their reporting.
“Selected members will also be given small bursaries to write stories that highlight matters relating to the project’s goals,” Mr Frimpong disclosed.
