University of Cape Coast

Centre for Coastal Management

The project on the data collection of Abandoned Lost and otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG)in Ghana under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP),through the Centre for Coastal Management (CCM_ACECoR) commenced on the 16th of September 2023 with the training of quality control officers at the Ridge Royal Hotel Cape Coast. 

Abandoned, Lost, and otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) is considered one of the major sources of sea-based marine litter, which has negative impacts on the marine ecosystem, fisheries resources, and coastal communities. Some of these impacts include

• catching both target and non-target organisms long after they are lost or discarded,
• altering benthic environments,
• posing hazards to the navigation of vessels, and
• introducing synthetic materials into the marine food web.

ALDFG is associated with the fisheries sector in Ghana, however comprehensive data on the types and quantities are currently unknown. This project therefore seeks to contribute to filling this gap through monthly beach litter assessment for six months, in eight communities to monitor and characterise ALDFG in this project.

The quality control officers had series of lectures on their role in the study and were taken through field sessions to be trained on the identification and selection of sampling units, identifying, quantifying and assessing the ALDFGs in their sampling units.

Data obtained from the projects will be processed into information that can be used to develop effective mitigating measures and to assess the effectiveness of existing interventions including legislation and regulations.