The 2nd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment (CFCE Accra 2019) was held in Accra from 19th to 21st August 2019. The conference was attended by 282 participants drawn from Ghanaian universities, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission, representatives from the USAID Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) with the University of Rhode Island, USA, Fisheries and Aquaculture Society of Ghana, Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea, Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank’s West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program, government ministries and agencies, private sector, civil society, research institutions, fisheries associations, fishermen, fishmongers and the media. Deliberations at CFCE Accra 2019 focused on:

• Marine and Coastal Environment and Management
• Fisheries Science and Fisheries Biology
• Fisheries Management and the Postharvest Fish Value Chain
• Aquaculture and Livelihoods
• Cross-cutting issues in Fisheries and Coastal Management

The CFCE Accra 2019, recognizing
• the national importance of marine and coastal ecosystems and fisheries to the people of Ghana providing livelihood for 2 million people and contributing 4.5% to the national GDP;
• the importance of fish for the national food security strategy and livelihood;
• that the fish stock is at an alarming stage and on the verge of collapsing;
• the significant contribution and opportunity of the blue economy to the socio-economic development of Ghana;
• the need for political will to include civil society in decision making for better fisheries and coastal the management
• the need for regional collaboration among neighbouring countries;
• the pollution and degradation of the coastal environment; and
• the growing menace of pollution, particularly plastic wastes in our seas;

reached the recommendations published in this communique, for the attention and necessary action of the Government, MoFAD, Fisheries Commission, Fisheries Associations, all other stakeholders and the Media.

The full content of the communiqué is available at COMMUNIQUE CFCE 2017_20170930_FINAL