Six months ago, I took the responsibility of leading Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector—not just as a minister, but as a daughter of this land, a Shama woman deeply aware of what our oceans, rivers, and lakes mean to our people. Since then, I have walked the beaches where nets are mended by hand, listened to mothers who smoke fish to feed their families, and stood beside fishermen whose boats are battered, but not broken. And through it all, three words have stayed with me: Resilience. Progress. Promise.
Our fisheries sector is not perfect, but it is powerful. What I have witnessed in these past months is deep, unshakable resilience. From Dixcove to Shama, from Jamestown to Tapa Abotoase, I have seen the spirit of men and women who refuse to give up. Despite the effects of illegal fishing, depleted stocks, and policy gaps, they still rise before dawn, cast their nets, and believe. That belief fuels me. That spirit tells me we must never fail them.
The reset is happening. Slow in some places, faster in others, but it is real. We are no longer sitting back while others decide our fate. We are engaging stakeholders openly, listening more than we speak, and pushing hard to lift the EU yellow card. Our monitoring systems are being revamped. Our aquaculture strategy is being redefined to bring opportunities to more people, especially the youth and women who have often been overlooked. The work is difficult, but progress never comes easily, and we are moving.
The future of Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector is full of promise. I feel it in every community I visit. I see it in the eyes of young ones learning to farm tilapia in a small pond. I hear it in the voices of fisherfolks asking for training, not handouts. This sector can feed our nation, employ our people, and protect our environment if we stay the course.
I did not come into this office to play it safe. I came to serve, listen, and fight for a sector that too many have given up on. I believe in the power of transformation—and I believe that if we hold on to our resilience, embrace our progress, and protect our promise, we will leave behind a legacy our children will be proud of.
This is not just policy. This is personal. H.E. John Dramani Mahama and H.E. Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman’s administration is not just resetting our fisheries sector. We are working to rewrite the story, and we want to leave a legacy worth celebrating.
source:www.senaradioonline.com
