Africa

The overall objective of the F2F dialogue process was to create a platform for all fisheries stakeholders to interact and discuss issues pertaining to the sector and reach consensus on key policy decisions and strengthen collaboration between fisheries managers and fishers (resources harvesters and processors). Taking cognizance of the existing and emerging policy and management concerns within the fisheries sector, the 2020 F2F dialogue processes focused on the following issues: • Implementation of the 2020 Closed Season for all fleets including the selection of the most opportune period for this year’s fishing closed season, based on available scientific data, with the view of increasing recruitment of juvenile fish species in order to rebuild the depleted fish stock. • Implementation of the Canoe Identification Card (CIC) System associated with the establishment a moratorium on new entrants to the marine canoe sector. • Preparatory arrangements for the implementation of the Fisheries Co-Management Policy. • Eradication of Illegal transshipment (saiko). The Deliberations among stakeholders reached five key points of agreement.

This report provides an update of the status of the small pelagic fish stocks of Ghana through 2019. It was led by the FSSD, reviewed and validated by the Science and Technical Working Group (STWG). Annual landings of Sardinella aurita have declined from 119515 tonnes. in 1992 to 11,834 tonnes in 2019. This represented only 9.9% of the highest recorded landings. This drastic decline in landings is caused largely by the artisanal fishing fleet, which operates without proper management controls in an open access. In addition, the unit of effort of a canoe is more efficient today than in the past due to advanced technologies, modern fishing nets, powerful engines and big capital investments. For example, the average size of a purse seine was about 200-300 meters long in the 1970s but today it is 3 times larger - between 600-1000 meters in length and the average crew members on a canoe doubled from 10 to 20 fishermen. Canoe gross tonnage and capacity increased by 2.5 fold (from 2 to 5 metric tons) while the Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) declined dramatically and the cost and timing of a fishing trip increased as fishermen spend more time searching for fish offshore.

The M&E Plan includes two major components. First is the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) and its associated indicator reporting which is tied to the project goal and intermediate results. Second is a knowledge management and learning strategy to communicate and share information, results, and lessons—and solicit input and feedback for adaptive management. This approach will optimize the project’s performance and ensure accountability to USAID, Ghanaian and American people. The M&E Plan including the PMP, represents the overarching results framework, indicators, targets, and plan for data quality assurance. It describes the process for developing rapid assessments and baselines, which will form the basis for subsequent routine monitoring, periodic assessments and subsequent learning and adaptive management. The PMP lays out a calendar of performance management tasks, describes how data is collected and how the project will assess the limitations and quality of data. The document also details the plan for knowledge management and learning.

Environmental Compliance is a mandatory requirement for all USAID-funded programs, to ensure project activities do not have significant impact on the environment. USAID Implementing Partners are obligated to consider throughout the life of project, environmental impacts arising from its activities. During the FY 2020 of the SFMP, all USAID environmental requirements laid down in the project Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) were complied with to ensure no significant impact on the environment from activity implementation.

Throughout the implementation of the USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (2014 to 2021) a variety of information, education and communication materials were produced. This document compiles “success stories” and “Telling Our Story” materials submitted to USAID as part of quarterly and annual reports as well as on topics of special interest. These stories are organized by the key themes of the project, as described in detail in the two-volume Lessons Learned report produced in 2019. Readers should consult Volume 1 (https://www.crc.uri.edu/download/GH2014_PGM335_CRC_FIN508.pdf) for a description of the approach and accomplishments in Legal and Policy Reform, Co-Management and Constituency-Building, Science for Management and Institutional Strengthening. Volume 2 (https://www.crc.uri.edu/download/GH2014_PGM336_CRC_FIN508.pdf) covers Post-Harvest Improvements, Gender Mainstreaming and Combating Child Labor and Trafficking. Both volumes also include links to selected reports on each topic.