Brussels, 18/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 18 December, the European Commission congratulated Ghana on its effective action in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Ghana no longer features on the EU illegal fishing black list after the Commission lifted its warnings to Ghana (and Papua-New Guinea) following reform of its fisheries governance system (see EUROPE 11401).
After their meeting in Brussels, European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella hailed the energetic action of Ghanaian Fisheries Minister Sherry Ayitey against illegal fishing. Ghana's efforts have improved the health of its fisheries sector, making it more sustainable. “This is a huge political success”, said Vella. The fisheries sector in Ghana generates over US$1 billion, accounting for almost 5% of the country's GDP and directly or indirectly providing work for 10% of the population. The commissioner said that Ghana is “a clear example” for other countries in Africa and around the world that “positive change is possible with the right political commitment”. He encouraged Ghana to sign the United Nations port measures agreement, which seeks to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing.
Minister Ayitey said that, initially, the EU warning had seemed a bit harsh. “But it allowed us to look more closely at our sector”, she conceded. The Ghanaian fisheries sector is made up of industrial vessels for tuna and more than 12,000 canoes registered for traditional fishing. She gave details of the measures taken to eradicate IUU fishing: - specific legislation; - a national plan for tackling IUU fishing; - a fisheries management plan (with areas closed to fishing to allow the resource to recover); - a surveillance unit involving the navy, coastguards and air force; - catch certification, on-board observers and monitoring systems on vessels. “When we were shown the red card, we lost a lot of money, especially in the industrial fisheries sector”, Ayitey said: US$100 million over two years. Ghana is working with Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Benin and Togo to tackle illegal fishing. Ayitey highlighted that IUU fishing costs Africa $30 billion per year. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)