Welcome news for Ghana’s fisheries
Disappointing catch at Sekondi Fishing Harbor. Photo by Christiane Badgley
The World Bank has announced a significant funding package (US$ 53.3. million) intended to support Ghana’s fisheries. Among other things, the funding will support efforts to reduce illegal fishing off the coast of Ghana and to improve sustainable management of the country’s fisheries. This is important news for Ghana’s fishing communities.
New video online!
Sunset, Sekondi beachfront. Photo by Christiane Badgley
The Center for Public Integrity and the Pulitzer Center have posted the first of my short video dispatches on Ghana’s new oil industry: http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/06/10/4859/fishing-and-offshore-oil-industry-delicate-imbalance
There’s a dedicated “Oil City Stories” page at the Pulitzer Center and from there you can access articles and videos: http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/ghana-oil-city-hopes-challenges-takoradi
Please visit these pages and add comments, tweet, like, share, etc.! Increased traffic and comments help me convince funders to continue supporting this work. New videos will be out soon and we’re working on a longer film project. It’s crucial to keep up the momentum!
Thanks for your interest and support.
Fish and oil
Fishmongers at Sekondi. Photo by Christiane Badgley
Fish and oil: What’s at stake?
Here in Ghana, oil is expected to account for about 5% of the GNP when production gets up to speed. The fishing industry also contributes nearly 5% to the GNP. The number of jobs for Ghanaians that the oil industry may create is still unknown, but there’s no mystery about fishing. Approximately one-fifth of Ghana’s population depends on fishing. That’s huge, but in the Western Region fishing communities have to accommodate the oil industry. The oil industry meanwhile doesn’t have to do anything for the fishermen. Continue reading . . .
Sekondi sunset
Sekondi sunset. Photo by Christiane Badgley
Sekondi kids. Photo by Christiane Badgley
We’re now in Sekondi-Takoradi, “Oil City.” Oil is in the news, but this place is all about fishing. Shooting along the Sekondi seafront at the end of the day, we were joined by a bunch of kids for an impromptu video workshop.
