NAFAG hosts delegation from US House of Representatives, US Ambassador to Ghana

The National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), the umbrella body of all the fisheries sector associations, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Ghana Inland Fisheries Council, Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association, Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association, and the Ghana Tuna Association, on September 10 hosted a delegation from the US House of Representatives, from the House Committee on Natural Resources, led by Rep. Raul Grijalva, Committee Chairman, and H.E. Virginia Palmer, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana.

The 13-member delegation visited Ghana from the 10th of September to the 13th of September and areas of interest and engagement included addressing issues related to ocean governance, and nature conservation and particularly combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF).

NAFAG hosted the delegation to a welcoming dinner on the 10th of September, 2022 at the Labadi Beach Hotel, for the industry to highlight the significant challenges in the sector, and followed up the dinner on 11th September, 2022 with a comprehensive tour of the Tema Canoe Landing Beach and Fishing Harbour.

The delegation and the fisheries sector industry players led by the Ag. President of NAFAG, Simon Agah in the company of the 1st Vice Chair, Jojo Solomon, and Secretary, Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, amongst others had extensive discussions with the delegation on key sector issues, challenges, and areas of additional cooperation during the dinner.

Key amongst the issues of discussion were the restoration of lost fisheries habitat, the impact of mining in water bodies of fisheries and food security, the menace of IUUF, maritime security including piracy and maritime crimes, excess fishing vessel capacity, and the concomitant challenge of teaming unemployed/semi-employed youth within the fishing industry in Ghana.

There was concordance between the visiting delegation and the Ghanaian industry players on the need to work on all aspects of the fishing industry, which include social, economic, scientific, and planning aspects to ensure that life is returned to the sector.

On Sunday 11th September, the team made a follow-up call to the Tema Fishing industry led by H.E. Virginia E. Palmer, the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana. The tour afforded the delegation the opportunity or first-hand information on the entire industrial value chain. They were met on arrival by the NAFAG President, Simon Agah, Secretary Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, Chief Fisherman, Nii Odammetey II, the General Manager Tema Fishing Harbour, Ing. Kwabena Frimpong, and the Member of Parliament for Tema East, Hon. Isaac Ashai Odamtten.

The team toured the canoe landing beach and interacted with fishers, visited the anchovies drying site, the fish smoking centre, and other areas at the canoe beach. Led by the host team, the delegation visited the Fishing Harbour to see inshore (semi-industrial vessels), trawl vessels, and tuna vessels. They walked through the fishing port and interacted with the delegation.

Ing. Frimpong, the fishing Harbour Manager, thanked the team for their visit and asked for greater collaboration to deliver effective Port-State measures against IUUF and other maritime crimes. The Ambassador assured us that they are supporting the country with two patrol boats to fight piracy and IUUF amongst others.

The MP for Tema East requested greater collaboration between the US congress and the Parliament of Ghana, particularly with Coastal MPs with fisheries interests, and to also deepen the Sister Cities agenda.

The team has since left for other engagements.