It said the lack of action on the policy had led to a rise in cost of aquaculture production in Ghana.

The Buffer Zone Policy is a document of all dormant and fragment regulations in the country concerning buffers bordering water or river systems.

The Policy also provides comprehensive measures and actions that would guide the coordinated creation of vegetative buffers for the preservation and functioning of our water bodies and vital ecosytems.

NUACA said it was critical and unavoidable to ensure the sustainable management of the country's water resources, but unfortunately “very little had been seen in terms of the enforcement of the Buffer Zone Policy.”

Mr Francis Garbrah, President of NUACA, made this call on behalf of the Association at a stakeholders workshop organised under the auspices of Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund Phase in Accra.

Mr Garbrah said there was the need to devise policy guidelines and implement targeted measures to address the unfortunate situation regarding the conservation and preservation of our water resources.

He said poor and unsustainable management practices such as illegal mining, uncontrolled logging, urbanisation, livestock populations among others, were jeopardising not only the aquaculture potentials of Ghana, but also the physical quality of the environment, hydrological and ecological support systems and the livelihoods of local inhabitants around the water bodies.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that NUACA found it expedient to initiate this advocacy action to demand the enforcement of the National Buffer Zone Policy,” he said.

“The Buffer Zone Policy is intended to protect, regenerate and maintain the native/established vegetation in riparian buffer zones to improve water quality by instituting proper procedures for managing and controlling the above activities along river banks and generally in catchments of surface water bodies.”

Mr Garbrah appealed to all stakeholders to actively participate and support work on review and enforcement of the National Buffer Zone Policy as part of efforts at strengthening the medium for aquaculture development in the country.

The group subsequently formed a nine member Advocacy Committee to lead the campaign in the enforcement of the National Buffer Zone Policy.