Fisheries sector contributes more to GDP

The Coordinator of the Improving Fisheries Governance (IFG) project, Kofi Agbogah, has urged greater focus on Ghana’s fisheries sector, noting that it contributes as much to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the oil sector.

He said while the oil sector generates approximately $500 million annually in rent, the fisheries sector also contributes a similar amount to the economy.

Despite the significant contributions of the fisheries sector to GDP, Mr Agbogah expressed concern that it has not received adequate attention.

Mr Agbogah, who also serves as Director of Hen Mpoano, an NGO focused on fisheries and coastal resource management, made these remarks during an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a three-day West African Regional conference in Accra last Tuesday. 

The event brought together stakeholders in the fisheries sector from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin.

The conference, held on the theme: “Identification of approaches to extend IFG project activities to Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) member states”, is part of the IFG pilot project launched in Ghana in 2021.

IFG project overview

Launched in 2021, the IFG project is a three-year initiative aimed at ensuring sustainable fisheries practices across Ghana and other FCWC member states, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo. 

The project is implemented by five civil society organisations— Hen Mpoano, Friends of the Nation (FoN), the FCWC Secretariat, TM Tracking (TMT) and the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).

With Ghana serving as the focus country, the project seeks to share lessons learned with other FCWC member states. 

The current phase of the project will conclude in December 2024 and discussions are already underway to extend its activities to other countries based on the insights gained from its implementation in Ghana.

Funded by Oceans 5 and the Oak Foundation, the IFG project focuses on strengthening government and industry commitments to improve fisheries governance. 

Key areas of focus of the project include enhancing transparency, enforcing laws, promoting collaborative management and building the capacity of key stakeholders.

The economic importance of fisheries

Mr Agbogah highlighted that fish is not only a commodity but also a crucial economic resource. 

He explained that fish is the most traded commodity globally and despite its significant contributions, the sector is often overlooked, compared to other industries such as cocoa, gold and oil. 

He noted that Ghana's fisheries sector contributes about one per cent to the national GDP, translating to over $500 million annually in exports.

“If given the needed attention, rents from the fisheries sector could even surpass that of the oil sector,” he remarked. 

Mr Agbogah emphasised the importance of recognising the fisheries sector as an equal partner in the marine space and urged for more focus on sustainable fishing practices to benefit coastal communities.

He also stressed that fisheries play a crucial role in food security, nutritional security and national security, noting that Ghana is the fourth-largest exporter of tuna to the European Union, generating significant foreign exchange for the country.

Expanding successes across the Region

For Mr Agbogah, the success of Ghana’s fisheries governance under the IFG project would guide other FCWC member states. 

He explained that over the past three years, the project has worked extensively with Ghanaian stakeholders, building government and industry commitments to transparency, accountability and good management in the fisheries sector. 

He said critical stakeholders, including Parliament, the judiciary, media, prosecutors and industry players, have been engaged to improve their understanding of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.

Project extension 

For his part, the Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission of Ghana, Fred Antwi-Boadu, commended the IFG project for its achievements in improving fisheries governance in the country. 

He was optimistic that the project would be extended to cover other FCWC member states, considering the significant benefits it has brought to Ghana.

“While the project is set to conclude in December 2024, we hope for its extension to ensure continued improvement in fisheries governance across the beneficiary member states,” he said.

Mr Antwi-Boadu emphasised that the collaboration between non-state actors and civil society organisations under the project had demonstrated how partnerships can significantly improve fisheries governance and management. 

He added that the lessons learned from Ghana's experience would serve as a foundation for expanding these activities to other countries in the sub-region in future project phases.