As part of measures to defend the country’s territorial waters, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said many foreign fishing vessels have been denied permission to operate in Ghana.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the government is strictly monitoring the fishing industry’s activities.
Dr. Bawumia stated at the 3rd Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra that Ghana’s ocean must be safeguarded.
“The government has begun various activities to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in our waters. We are seriously regulating the licensing of foreign fishing vessels, especially their fishing gear, where they fish, and whether they have licenses or not. Some of these foreign vessels have already been denied licenses,” He stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bawumia has stated that the blue economy would be a crucial component of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) program for the general election next year.
The blue economy is an economic system that tries to maintain marine and freshwater habitats while producing resources such as electricity and food in a sustainable manner.
Dr. Bawumia announced the government’s approval of a $150 million World Bank loan to combat coastal erosion at the University of Cape Coast’s 3rd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra.
“The government has approved a loan of $150 million from the World Bank for the West Africa coastal area program to stem the tide of coastal degradation occurring in our coastal areas.”
He stated that the loan will be used to fund a variety of initiatives, including the advancement of sustainable fishing and aquaculture methods, as well as the promotion of blue tourism and other blue economic activities.
Dr. Bawumia further stated that the government is dedicated to collaborating with the business sector to promote the blue economy. He stated that the government has put in place a number of incentives to encourage private investment in the blue economy, such as tax reductions and access to funding.
According to the Vice President, the blue economy has the potential to produce millions of employment and billions of dollars in income for Ghana.
He went on to say that the administration is dedicated to building the blue economy in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
