Download Welcome-Address_pressengagement_260214

Welcome Address
Ladies and gentlemen you are welcome to Today’s event been organized by
the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen’s Council.
Since the discovery of offshore Oil and gas in commercial quantities in 2007
and subsequent production in 2010, Ghana is putting in place the legal and
regulatory framework to manage the sector however debates and dialogue
to feed the framework is mostly skewed towards revenue maximisation over
environmental and livelihood concerns. Sadly, there is also huge dearth of
public information and knowledge about oil exploration processes and likely
socio-environmental effects on host communities.
Already the development of the offshore oil & gas is negatively affecting
fishermen. There have been some fatal accidents between oil supply vessels
and fishing vessels resulting in death of fishermen and destruction of their
fishing gears without commensurate compensations. There have also been
oil pollution and obstruction of fishing due to the oil and gas exploitation
activities, this coupled with restriction of fishing around the oil rigs and other
areas is impacting negatively on Fisher folks.
Already the fisheries industry is at the verge of collapse due to weak fisheries
governance, and now the effects of oil and gas is an additional threat to the
sustainability of the marine fisheries especially in Western region.
It is for this matter that the GNCFC hopes to participate actively in the oil and
gas governance to avert the effects of offshore oil and gas on fisheries
livelihoods and coastal environment in the six coastal districts of the western
region.
With support from STAR Ghana the GNCFC is engaged in an advocacy for two
main reasons:
1. Advocate for Fisheries livelihoods protection from the effects offshore oil
& gas exploitation activities.
2. Advocate for Sustainable Coastal Environmental in the six coastal districts
of the western region.
This press engagement is part of efforts to raise fisher folks’ voices to
improve participation in the oil and gas governance.
Thank you and welcome. I am J. F. Ebambey, Secretary Ghana National Canoe
Fishermen’s Council, Western Region.