New fisheries law for 2007 - Ghana

New fisheries law in the offing - Minister

Akosua Village (C/R), Feb. 3, GNA - A new fisheries regulation will be put before parliament soon to give effect to the fisheries Act 625 that will help to control unlawful fishing practices.

Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, announced this at the World Wetlands Day celebration held at Akosua Village in Winneba in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District of the Central Region.

She said the new regulation when approved by Parliament would make it an offence for fishermen who fish with light and mosquito nets to be prosecuted.

The Wetlands Day celebration was on the theme: "Wetlands support fisheries; keep them healthy".Mrs Asmah said the fishing industry had enormous problems that required the involvement of all and sundry to help solve them to ensure rapid development of the sector.

The Minister called on the chiefs, opinion leaders, assembly members, politicians, civil society groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help create the necessary awareness among members of the various fishing communities in the country.

She commended the fishing communities in the Central Region particularly the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly for making the programme a success.

Mr Solomon Kwashie Abbam Quaye, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Awutu-Efutu-Senya, warned people in an around Winneba against dumping of refuse into the Muni Lagoon and the beaches, saying such acts undermined the efforts of the government and the Department of Wildlife to maintain a clean ecology.

The DCE announced that as part of efforts to maintain the beaches and the Muni Lagoon to attract tourists, five people had been arrested for flouting the District Assembly bye-laws by dumping waste at the beach.

According to the DCE the suspects would be arraigned before court to face the full rigorous of the law to serve as deterrent to others. Neenyi Ghartey VII, Omanhene of Effutu Traditional Area who presided, charged the residents of Winneba and surrounding communities to heed the warning and advice.

He urged them to assist the District Assembly to protect and preserve the lagoon and the beach to ensure a sound environmental hygiene.

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Poverty Still High in Ghana after 50 years

Poverty still high in Ghana

Accra, Feb. 2, GNA - Professor Richard Joseph, a distinguished scholar on Africa Affairs, on Thursday noted that one out of three Ghanaians still lived in poverty.

He, therefore, called for a sustained high economic growth to achieve economic development in Ghana and Africa as a whole. "Ghana should attract sustainable private investments needed to accelerate economic growth and lift millions of Ghanaians out of poverty.

"Professor Joseph made the observation at the third 93Kronti ne Akwamu" Lecture organized by the Centre for Democratic Development on: "Ghana and Democratic Development in Africa".

The lecture, which was chaired by Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Former Senior Minister, was also dubbed the special jubilee edition and brought together politicians, students and non-Ghanaians, who shared their thoughts on democratic development in Africa.

Professor Joseph, who is also the Director, Programme of African Studies at the Northwestern University, United States, said that the international community was willing to support a sustained economic growth, acknowledging that Africans had a lot to contribute to the process of poverty eradication.

He lauded the 93Joseph Project" created by the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations as a well thought activity to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary celebration.

While acknowledging the important gains made in the country during the past 15 years in consolidating a constitutional democracy, Professor Joseph noted that certain factors still impeded Ghana's transition to a fast-developing nation such as education and health care facilities, which he said were inadequate.

He stressed the need to promote an institution-building culture that would strengthen State and non governmental organizations so that a democratic development would be facilitated in a broad sense.

The Professor of Political Science further proposed a development plan entitled: 93Ghana 2017" which listed educational and health revolutions; a cultural renaissance; expanding private capital investment and establishing Ghana as a model of democratic development among instruments that would provide Ghana with the political kingdom of a capable State, a responsive democratic system and a dynamic employment generating economy.

Professor Emmanuel Gyimah Boadi, Executive Director of CDD, said the annual lecture on democracy and governance was one of the centres initiative aimed towards bridging the gap between reflection, research and analysis on one hand and pro-democracy and good governance on the other, thus enriching public discourse on democratic and governance reforms.

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