Dr Evans Kwasi Arizi, the Chairman of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Technical Advisory Committee, has said that Ghana’s first MPA at the Greater Cape Three Points in the Western Region will play a major role in rebuilding Ghana’s collapsing fish stocks and transforming the coastal economy.
Dr Arizi, at a Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) media forum, said that the ecological significance of the area made it ideal for regeneration under controlled access under the MPA.
He explained that the ecological significance was made up of rocky reefs, fish nursery grounds, spawning habitats, and rich biodiversity.
He added that unlike a closed fishing season, which is a period of time-based conservation, the MPA was designed as an area-based conservation tool, providing continuous protection to allow habitats to recover.?
“We are not going to close the area entirely, but there are certain areas that the fishers would be allowed to go fishing using specific gear, for example, hook and line, so that they do not tackle juveniles, so we allow them to grow and at least spawn once in a lifetime before they are harvested,” he said.
Dr Arizi reiterated that Ghana’s MPA was expected to contribute to the restoration of depleted fish stocks that is currently characterising the place.
He added that “We also envisaged that the MPA will go a long way to restore the habitats that have been destroyed over there and bring fish in abundance in the area to improve fisheries output where the fishers can rely on it to boost their local economy.”
He further explained that when the fisheries boom, it would boost the economy, provide fishers and the community with enough income, and serve as a tourism site, as people would go to the area to see the first-ever MPA established in Ghana, adding that it would reduce fish importation into the country.
He said the sector ministry would also collaborate with other ministries to provide the people in the area with vocational and technical skills to help them employ themselves, stressing that implementing the MPA would not disadvantage the people.
Dr Arizi emphasised that the initiative aligns with national aspirations to reduce fish imports, improve food security, and alleviate poverty in coastal communities.
He assured fishers that migrant fishing activities would still be allowed under regulated conditions and that the “no-take zones” would be limited to protect livelihoods.
“Ghana’s marine waters belong to all of us. With proper management, the abundance in the protected area will spill over to surrounding fisheries and benefit the entire nation,” he said.
Touching on enforcement, he explained that the Fisheries Commission’s Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system, together with the Fisheries Enforcement Unit, would ensure strict compliance once the MPA was established.
Monitoring of the protected area, he said, will rely on regular scientific assessments of fish biomass and catch volumes from surrounding fishing zones to measure spillover benefits.
Full designation of the MPA is expected in early 2026 after gazetting and further stakeholder consultations.
Source: GNA
The post Ghana’s first MPA to boost fish biomass, promote ecotourism appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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