A six-member delegation from the United States’ Cooperate for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) has met with leaders and fisher folks of the Anomabo community in the Central Region to acquaint themselves with activities of the fisheries sector.

Led by Mr Matt Korn, the team are in the country to experience how CARE – Ghana and its partners are impacting the lives of people in their operational areas.

The Far Ban Bo project (FBB) seeks to to contribute to sustainable fisheries resources management to improve food security and nutrition and livelihoods of smallholder fishers and other users of fishery resources. The project is designed to address the challenges of overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices including Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, low compliance and weak capacity for enforcement within the fisheries sector.

Nana Yaw Ababio II, the Chief Fisherman of Egyaa, said a proper landing bay was its priority and this has been a major concern to fisher folks in the coastal areas. He said the sea waves sometimes hits and break their canoes resulting in serious injuries or even deaths to the fishermen.

Other challenges, he said, include reduction in the quantity of their catch each day due to over fishing and other illegal fishing practices and the high unemployment rate in the community.

The group, which has termed the trip “CARE Donor Journey”, also met the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), initiated by the FBB project to inculcate savings habits among fisher folks especially women.

It has also produced many beneficiaries who have enhanced their economic lives by engaging in other entrepreneurial activities of which a member has opened a community information center, while others have also renovated or started their building projects and funded the education of their wards.

Mr Mohammed Mubeen, the Assist. Development Planning Officer of the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, raised concerns of insanitary conditions around the fishing areas adding that the impact of insanitary conditions will directly affect them.

 

The CARE team, at the end of its tour, described the whole initiative as laudable and expressed surprise at how the project has transformed many lives in the community.

 

 

 

 

 

Source: By Nana Oye Gyimah/ Victoria Agyemang, GNA (The Far Ban Bo Project attracts international visitors)