University of Cape Coast

Centre for Coastal Management

The Centre for Coastal Management - Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR) has been awarded a partnership contract by Tetra Tech ARD under the USAID-funded Feed the Future Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity (FtF GFRA) project to support the implementation of one of its strategic approaches to mitigating the near collapse of Ghana’s small pelagic fisheries sector and establish a durable basis for its ecological recovery.

“Improving the use of science and research for policy and management decisions”, is the specific strategic approach that CCM-ACECoR has been contracted to deliver. The Centre will particularly:

1. Develop and deliver adapted short courses for stakeholders involved in co-management fisheries resources to build their understanding of the basic fisheries science and management concepts. The training is for participants necessary to make science-based decisions on relevant issues such as fisheries management, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and marine protected areas for fisheries;
2. Design and deliver tailored training sessions for Fisheries Commission enumerators to improve fisheries data collection and quality;
3. Support research for establishing a nearshore Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Cape Three Points.
4. Support research that identifies opportunities to address gaps in fisheries management in Ghana
5. Organize and implement three annual Ghana Fisheries Science conferences to disseminate state-of-the-art scientific information and research results among research institutions, government agencies, and the public.

The contract which became effective in June 2023, and is expected to end in June 2026 anticipates contributing to a sustainable recovery of the small pelagic fisheries sector in Ghana.