The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has engaged the Regional Maritime University (RMU), to explore areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening capacity building, research, and innovation in the small-scale fisheries sector.
The engagement brought together representatives of the RMU’s management, faculty members, and executives of the association, with discussions centred on potential partnership opportunities in areas such as safety and security training for artisanal fishers and technology transfer, to promote sustainable fishing practices.
Nana Kweigyah, the President of CaFGOAG, at the meeting, stressed the need for closer collaboration between academic institutions and coastal communities, stating that such partnerships were essential to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and scientific research for effective co-management in the fisheries sector.
The CaFGOAG President mentioned some local initiatives and collaborations as the Fishers Rights Project, the Fishers Welfare Scheme, the Safety at Sea Initiative with the Ghana Meteorological Agency and the GMES and Africa Project, and the ISIPSK (Sankofa) Project with St Andrews University, the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea, and the Fisheries Commission of Ghana.
He further appealed to the RMU to consider comprehensive scholarship programmes for fishing communities to support the development of the communities and the artisanal fisheries sector.
Professor Capt. Nana Ofosu-Boateng, the Dean of Maritime Studies at the Regional Maritime University, welcomed the initiative and commended the GaFGOAG for its proactive engagement.
He reaffirmed the University’s commitment to working with stakeholders in the fisheries sector to advance research, training, and community-based solutions that enhance livelihoods and the development of the fisheries sector.
Capt. William Wrickets, the Head of the Maritime Safety and Security Centre, RMU, provided insight into safety and security training that the university offered for fishers.
As part of exploring collaborations, the artisanal fishers’ representatives also visited the Lamar Marine Company to experience first-hand the construction of fibreglass boats that could be introduced into Ghana’s Artisanal Fisheries Sector.
Capt. Etoenyo Oassis Bankas, a lecturer at RMU and General Secretary of the Ghana Merchant Navy Officers’ Association, who facilitated the visit, highlighted the need for artisanal fishers to explore the use of fiberglass boats to improve fishing operations and improve safety, assuring the association of their readiness to partner on this journey.
GNA
