By Kodjo
Adams, GNA
Accra, July 19, GNA – Ms Cecilia Senu, the
Assistant Secretary of the Densu Oyester Pickers Association, has said that the
five-month closed season had led to larger growth of oysters, resulting in
improved livelihoods.
Ms Senu said the closed season was a good
opportunity because it had help the oysters to spawn and grow bigger,
increasing their production.
Ms Senu said this when Professor Francis
Nunoo, the acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Development, visited the Community Based Fisheries for stakeholder engagement
in Tsokomey in the Ga South Municipal Assembly.
The engagement was to enable the fishery
communities of Tsokomey, Tetegu and Bortianor, under the USAID’s Sustainable
Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) to share their experiences on the benefits
of the closed season of the Densu Estuary.
Touching on her experience at the end of the
closed season, Ms Senu said the re-opening of the season had increased her
sales, adding that, she made over GH¢70.00 a day, which was not possible before
the closed season.
She thanked USAID for the opportunity to be
trained on best fishing practices, which they would continue to practice and
make an impact on what they were taught.
Ms Patience Amudzi, a member of the
Association said the training has equipped them to make a great stride in
restoring oysters stocks in traditional harvest areas.
Mrs Lydia Sasu, the Executive Director,
Development Action Association (DAA), said the Association was a local
implementing partner for the USAID’s SFMP, working directly with members of the
communities to provide leadership training workshops for oyster harvesters.
She said DAA, worked with the Ghana Fisheries
Commission to help oyster pickers to form the Densu Estuary Women’s Oyster
Pickers Association (DOPA).
Mrs Sasu said the Association developed an
organisational charter, standard operating procedures, formed a steering
committee and received training in the basic science of oyster habitats and
reproduction.
She stated that 30 members of DOPA were
trained on how to collect and understand measurements of water quality, water
salinity, turbidity and pH, a measure of water acidity.
She noted that with a growing understanding of
oyster ecology and data collection, the fisherfolk were beginning to plan for
the restoration of mangroves ad other measures that provide enhanced habitat
for the oysters to grow.
The Executive Director said the support had
strengthened their efforts to develop a co-management approach to preserve
fish.
“The co-management approach is forging an
effective partnership between government, stakeholders and the fisherfolk to
share responsibility for the management of the fishery”, she added.
Prof Nunoo was impressed with the outcome of
the project and commended DOPA for observing the closed, season and ensuring
best fishing practices in the communities.
He said the country’s fishing industry was
engulfed by a number of issues-over fishing, unsafe fish handling practices,
declining fishing stock, polluted marine waters, which threatened economic and
social well-being of the citizenry.
Prof Nunoo announced a one-month closed season
for fishing across the country with effect from August 7 to September as part
of measures to ensure stock recovery to curtail the depletion of the country’s
fish stock.
He urged Fisherfolk to comply with the
directives, adding that, any person who engages in fishing during the closed
season committed an offence and was liable on summary conviction to a fine
between $500,000 and $2 million.
GNA