By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Oct. 16, GNA-The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has underscored the significant roles coastal communities play in ensuring maritime security.
Nana Kweigyah, the National President of CaFGOAG, said it was important that stakeholders recognised the role of coastal communities in maritime security and properly collaborate with them on all levels to safeguard the marine waters.
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that he recently raised these issues at the Maritime Security Conference held in Praia, Cabo Verde, organised by the International Maritime Organisation in collaboration with the Government of Cabo Verde, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the Atlantic Centre, with support from the German government.
The conference held on October 8-9, on the theme “Maritime Security 2024: Innovations and Partnerships for the Future,” was aimed at exploring expert knowledge, cross-sectoral collaboration, and technology in addressing maritime security challenges.
He said coastal communities have local knowledge and intelligence and could provide a community-based early warning system and participate in monitoring and surveillance.
He added that they could also help in collaborative marine resource management and also provide support during investigations and enforcement of laws and policies in the sector.
The CaFGOAG national President therefore urged maritime stakeholders to prioritise human rights-based approaches in all maritime developments, as life and livelihoods in coastal communities highly depend on healthy coastal and marine ecosystems.
He recommended that as part of strategies to enhance partnerships with coastal communities, there must be inclusive collaboration and decision-making, capacity building and training, policy support for coastal sustainability, incentives for local initiatives, and private sector investment in technologies, among others.
He called for direct support to coastal communities towards strengthening the collective social capital of coastal communities to improve global maritime security.
Nana Kweigyah asked for true partnership between stakeholders and fishers and urged maritime stakeholders to sign up to the Rules of Conduct for Working with Small Scale Fishers and Fish Workers, which are a set of guidelines addressed at organisations and partners that wish to work with small-scale fishers in the context of marine and coastal conservation.
According to him, some potential injustices that could undermine coastal community partnership included dispossession and displacement caused by ocean and coastal grabbing, which impacts on the livelihood of small-scale fishermen, lost access to marine resources needed for food security and well-being, and the marginalisation of women.
According to him, the Landing Beach Enforcement Committee initiative is a good attempt at promoting fishermen’s participation in monitoring and surveillance and support for investigations and enforcement.
GNA