@FAOGhana/David Youngs

Emphasizing responsible and sustainable use of aquatic biodiversity and natural resources 

Ghana with the support of FAO is empowering stakeholders to implement the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). This initiative emanated from the support received by Ghana under the FAO’s Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Umbrella Programme which aims to improve the governance of small-scale fisheries in order to eradicate hunger and poverty and to sustainably develop and manage the environment and fisheries resources.

The programme supported the localization of communication products on the SSF Guidelines into the following Ghanaian language; Nzema, Fanti, Gonja, Dangbe, Ga and Ewe for awareness-raising and to facilitate application by stakeholders. Also, to aid capacity-building activities in Best Practices for Actors in the SSF value chain the FAO SMART FISH training videos have also been localized into Ghanaian languages to support the adoption of good practices by SSF actors.

To create an enabling environment for the application of the SSF guidelines, the Food and Agriculture Organization in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission of Ghana has organized 4 workshops for the 10 project locations spread across six regions in Ghana. These workshops were to train instructors from Small Scale Fisheries Organizations, CSOs, Government Officials, and Academia who will act as ambassadors to create awareness and empower stakeholders to localize and apply the recommendations to the SSF guidelines using the localized communication and knowledge products.

The SSF Umbrella Programme

The FAO SSF Umbrella Programme was established in 2015 to assist member countries to implement the SSF Guidelines.  The programme host projects funded by multiple donors supporting the same overall goal and outcomes key to the sustainable development of Small-Scale Fisheries. Ghana has been a beneficiary of this Programme since 2016 and currently receiving support under the following projects “Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for gender-equitable and climate-resilient food systems and livelihoods (The FMM SSF project)” and “Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries (The SIDA Project)”.  The FMM project was designed as a continuation of the “Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems” - NORAD project - aiming to contribute not only to gender equality and equity and enhancement of the post-harvest sector but also to include and develop more sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems. The NORAD project supported the development of the communication and knowledge products for sustainable development, which was officially launched on March 1, 2022, in Ghana.

Further to this, the project is supporting the awareness creation of the International Year for Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022 to enable stakeholders to understand the objectives and the Global Action Plan to adapt the pillars and outputs as well as indicative activities for the celebrations in Ghana.

Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (the SSF Guidelines) is the first internationally agreed instrument dedicated entirely to the small-scale fisheries sector. The principles in SSF Guidelines do not only address policies, strategies, and legal frameworks concerning small-scale fisheries, but also other matters affecting lives and livelihood in fishing communities. They have a clear human rights-based approach focussing on people, rather than fish. The SSF Guidelines are global in scope, and they guide dialogue, policy processes, and actions at national, regional, and international levels.

The SSF Guidelines communication products consist of translations of the Summary SSF Guidelines and six animation videos addressing key issues such as managing resources and allocating tenure rights responsibly; supporting social development and decent work; looking at fish workers along the entire value chain from catching through processing to trading fish; promoting gender equality; and taking into account climate change and disaster risk.

The FAO SMART FISH training package on best practices consists of five modules of videos designed for fishermen, processors, traders and consumers, and anyone who is involved in handling, transporting, or storing fish and fishery products.  It is expected that participants will have an improved knowledge of good handling, hygiene, and processing practices and will have identified ways in which they can improve their own practices. This will help to reduce fish loss and boost their income level to improve the sector.

Assistant FAO Representative in charge of Programmes, Benjamin Adjei urged all State and non-state actors to take a renewed interest in the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture towards food security and nutrition, poverty eradication, and natural resource sustainability.

Many small-scale fishers are self-employed and usually provide fish for direct consumption within their households or communities. Women are significant participants in the sector, particularly in postharvest and processing activities. It is estimated that about 90 per cent of all people directly dependent on capture fisheries work in the small-scale fisheries sector. As such, small-scale fisheries serve as an economic and social engine, providing food and nutrition security, employment, and other multiplier effects to local economies while underpinning the livelihoods of riparian communities.