He said the industry contributed significantly to the nation’s gross domestic product; hence, revamping it would ensure food security and create employment opportunities for the youth.

Nana Agyemang gave the advice in an interview with Ghana News Agency on the sideline of the national launch of the Far Ban Bo (protecting fisheries livelihoods) Project in Accra. “Far Ban Bo-Protecting Fisheries Livelihoods” is a four-year project in Ghana, funded by the European Union and being implemented by a consortium consisting of CARE (the Lead), Friends of the Nation (FoN) and Oxfam.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to sustainable fisheries resources management to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods of smallholder fishers and other users of fishery resources. The Project implementing partners, led by CARE, had already organised four pre zonal launches in Takoradi, Cape Coast, Keta and Kpando to introduce the project to key stakeholders.

The project is being implemented in 30 communities in Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta Regions. Nana Agyemeng urged all and sundry to support the project; because it would bring a lot of benefits to the fishing industry in the country. He said as major stakeholders in the project they should take a very keen interest in it because it was going to bring a lot of benefits in the fishing industry.

He said for some unexplained reasons the fishing industry was on the decline; however a large number of people depend on it for their livelihood. He said any misfortune in the fisheries sector was going to affect a whole lot of people; explaining that right from the sea or the river to the market centre, one would see that in between the chain there were a whole lot of people whose activities would be affected if the right decisions were not taken regarding the proper and efficient managing of the resources.

“I am happy that at least at long last we have seen reason and the kind support of the European Union we have taken action to address some of these problems,” the Paramount Chief said. He said fishing in Ghana was a very expensive undertaking; and that a lot of the fisher folks had to take bank loans to be able to finance their operations.

“And so if they go, and they don’t get the fish to make more money to go and pay for some of these resources puts them in a very difficult situations. And this is the kind of situation that is happening within our communities. “I am happy that efforts is being made to make sure that the industry is protected and the right decisions are being taken to help the fisher folks,” he added.

He urged stakeholders to put in their maximum efforts to ensure that the project succeeded.