Artisanal fishers intensify calls for Inshore Exclusive Zone extension  

Artisanal fishers who are members of the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG)?have backed calls for the legal extension of Ghana’s Inshore Exclusive Zone.  

Mr. Reuben Jefferson Daker Ocansey, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of CaFGOAG, at a press conference, stated that there was the need to urgently extend?and enforce?the IEZ, describing it as the last buffer protecting the livelihoods and nutrition of thousands of urban coastal families.  

Mr. Ocansey noted that it is the lifeline of over three million Ghanaians whose livelihoods, nutrition, and culture depended on a healthy and accessible marine ecosystem.  

The IEZ is a nearshore area designated for use by small-scale fishers?and critical to ensuring food security and income generation, especially in urban communities where coastal resources are under severe strain.  

According to him, in recent years, the zone has come under intense pressure from industrial vessels fishing too close to shore, often in violation of existing laws.  

He noted that this results?in the decline of?fish catches for artisanal fishers, destruction of fishing gear and canoes, and degradation of marine habitats, which further weakens?local communities’ motivation to engage in conservation measures.??  

The association therefore called on Parliament to prioritise the extension and strict enforcement of the IEZ?as a critical area reserved for artisanal fishers.??  

He indicated that this is in line with the 2022-2026 Marine Fisheries Management Plan, which provided for an extension of the IEZ as government’s?recognition of the need to protect the IEZ, artisanal fisheries, and marine habitats.??  

Source: GNA  

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