By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says the Party’s Manifesto under his leadership will have a strong and inclusive Blue Economy component for sustainable growth and development.
The blue economy, comprising the marine resources, aquaculture, tourism, ports and harbours, and the shipping industry, has enormous potential of creating jobs for the youth, improve food security and accelerating economic growth, he noted.
The Government, he said, had approved a loan of $150 million from the World Bank under the West Africa Coastal Area Programme (WACAP) to stem the tide of coastal degradation.
Vice President Bawumia said this at the Third Biennial Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra on Monday, on the theme: “Inclusive Blue Economy in Africa: Toward Sustainable Transformation and Resilience of the Marine Environment”.
The three-day conference, organised by the Centre of Coastal Management- The Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR), University of Cape Coast, brought together the academia, development partners, civil society organisations, the media and fishery groups.
The conference, among others, aimed at fostering stronger connection among the fishery stakeholders and brainstorm on ways to influence policy decisions on the blue economy.
It was also intended to maximise fishery resources for improved livelihoods, job creation and food security, as well as resolve conflicts within the marine resource management and piracy on the ocean.
Globally, the marine resource value-chain is estimated at $24 trillion dollars.
In Ghana, this contributes between four and 10 per cent of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), with over two million people depending on it for survival.
The Vice President said the Government believed that the ocean presented a huge opportunity to accelerate development and improve the wellbeing of the citizens.
Thus, he called for collective efforts by stakeholders to ensure sustainable utilisation, transformation and resilience of Ghana and Africa’s marine environment.
Vice President Bawumia expressed government’s commitment to stemming the tide on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, and said there was an urgent need to tackle those activities that threatened the sustainability of the ocean environment.
Professor Rosemond Boahene, the Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast, in her welcome address, said the University’s Centre for Coastal Management aimed at fostering stronger connection among researchers, industry, professionals, Civil Society Organisations, and the media to attain Ghana’s blue economy agenda.
She believed that the country’s marine resources presented an enormous opportunity for sustainable growth and leverage the biotechnology of the marine environment to develop eco-friendly products as well as utilise the renewable energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuel.
Prof. Denis W. Aheto, the Director, Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, highlighted some of the topics tabled for discussion by the participants during the conference.
These include Marine Protected Areas as a Tool for Fisheries Management, Coastal Engineering, Oil Spillage, Marine Security and Transportation, Renewable and Non-Energy Sources and Coastal Management and Aquaculture Development.
GNA