As part of efforts to protect Ghana's marine and coastal resources, the President of the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), Nana Joojo Solomon, has urged the government and citizens to refrain from politicising the country's natural resources.
The chief fisherman emphasised that the ocean will be safer if all activities are backed by data and science.
Speaking at the National Consultation Meeting on Ghana’s Sustainable Ocean Plan in Accra on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, he said, "You are talking about a natural resource…please, for heaven’s sake, no natural resource must be politicised. It is one of our problems. From my experience, politics is what has brought us this far and therefore, the sustainable ocean plan clearly talks about management of the environment and natural resources.
"Let us go by science, let us go by data and then let us not go by politics," he added.
In the same vein, the Deputy Director and Advisor of the SDG Unit at the Office of the President, Dr. Felix Addo-Yobo, announced that the Sustainable Ocean Plan will be launched by the end of the year.
The plan will serve as the blueprint for the sustainable management of marine resources.
Additionally, the sustainable ocean plan will be reviewed every two years to incorporate new knowledge and technologies relevant to the sector.
He said, "The Sustainable Ocean Plan will be completed by 2025. That is the commitment that members of the global body have given, and Ghana, being a member, signed onto that commitment. With our political cycle and our president's tenure ending this year, he is committed to seeing the ocean plan completed before his tenure ends, so we are working hard to deliver the Sustainable Ocean Plan by the end of this year."
Since its inception in 2018, the Ocean Panel has been working with governments, businesses, financial institutions, the science community, and civil society to catalyse and scale bold, pragmatic solutions across policy, governance, technology, and finance to ultimately develop an action agenda for transitioning to a sustainable ocean economy.
The plan aims to address challenges faced by Ghana’s oceans, such as climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation.
SA/MA
Watch the latest edition of BizTech below:
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channel
GhanaWeb Business | WhatsApp Channel
https://whatsapp.com