Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana is calling for an end to violations of human rights of small-scale fishers in Ghana.

According to them, the perilous state of Ghana's small pelagic fishery has serious implications for the economic and social rights of small-scale fishing communities.

The Association believes the right to an adequate standard of living including the right to food, and the right to decent working conditions that are recognized in Articles 25, and 23, of the Universal Declaration on Human Right (UDHR) must be protected.

In a release signed by the Chairman of the Association, Nana Kweigyah, he indicated that unfortunately, the rights of small-scale fishers have been violated over the years through Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing practices which are widespread across all sectors of Ghana’s fisheries, rendering fishing communities poorer and more vulnerable.

He further explained that the steep decline in fish catch by artisanal fishers means decline in income and deterioration of the standard of living of fishers and fish workers.

“It is urgently required of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and the Fisheries Commission (FC) to address the widespread IUU fishing in all sectors of Ghana’s fisheries, including the artisanal subsector, and more urgently activities of industrial trawlers that deprives artisanal fishers of meaningful fish catch.”

The association cites the recent declaration of Zero Tolerance for IUU fishing practices, by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson, at the opening of the 37th Farmers Day and Trade Exhibition, in Cape Coast, as a timely one that has to be supported by all stakeholders towards its realization.

According to the Minister, MoFAD had intensified Fisheries Enforcement Operations including Sea and Land Patrols, Deployment of Observers on fishing vessels, effective operations of the Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and the Automatic Information Systems (AIS) to promote voluntary compliance.

This is welcoming news because duty-bearers, have a duty to respect, fulfill and protect the human rights of the right holders, and must be seen at all times to be doing so.

Nana Kweigyah stated, “It must be emphasized that addressing human rights abuses begins with participation of rights holders in decision-making processes in a non-discriminatory and transparent manner.

This must be ensured by all duty bearers, including the States and its Agencies, the Private Sector, Inter-Governmental Organizations, Non- Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations.

As the world marks the 2021 Human Rights Day, the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners want the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister to institute quarterly meetings with representatives of small-scale fishers and fish workers as a platform to engage regularly towards addressing these human rights violations and the numerous concerns of artisanal fishers and fish workers.