Agri National

Fisheries Commission Board inaugurated

An 11-member Fisheries Commission Board mandated to advise the ministry on issues related to the development and management of fisheries resources has been inaugurated.

The members have also been tasked to develop a management plan for the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources.

The board is also expected to facilitate the collaboration between the ministry, its local stakeholders and international organisations. Board members

The board has Mr Benson Nutsukpui as its chairman. Other members include: Dr Hederick Dankwa, Mr A.K. Armah, Flight Lieutenant M. G. Tackey (retd), Nii Tetteh Ashong II, Mr Carl Kojo Fiati and Dr Ben Vas Nyamadi.

The rest are: Mrs Mercy Afrowa Needjan, Mr Siisi Assuman Ocran, Mr Samuel Quaatey and Commodore Seth Amoama. The minister

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Ms Sherry Ayittey, said the board would serve as a think tank to the ministry in its policy formulation and implementation for effective and efficient management of the fisheries sector.

She said the fisheries sector was beset with challenges which included outdated legal instruments, prevalence of illegal fishing activities, over-capacity of fishing fleet, declining fish stocks, week law enforcement and mismanagement of premix fuel, among other issues.

According to her, the ministry had initiated the process for a complete review of the Fisheries Act 2002, Act 625 to ensure that structures of the Fisheries Commission were well established to function like any other commission in the country.

The sector minister lauded the role the outgoing board played in the enactment of the Fisheries Regulations 2010 (L.I.1968), the translation of the Fisheries Regulations into five Ghanaian languages and the setting up a taskforce to develop a road map for the establishment of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit.

She charged the incoming board to continue the good work started by its predecessors.

Responding on behalf of the members, Mr Nutsukpui expressed gratitude to the President and the minister for appointing them and added that the board was mindful of the role the fisheries sector played in the country’s economy.

He gave the assurance that the board would collectively bring its knowledge and expertise together to address the challenges in the fisheries sector.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
Close