Accra, 7 April 2022/OACPS: High-level fisheries and aquaculture policymakers from the Member States of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), as well as leading fisheries professionals and practitioners are meeting in Accra, Ghana for the 7th Meeting of OACPS Ministers in charge of Fisheries and Aquaculture from 5-8 April 2022.

Themed, “OACPS’s Blue Economy Agenda 2030 – Catalysing Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development for the Future”, the meeting is being hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Ghana.

The objectives of the meeting are to:

  • Reinforce high-level, broad-based shared commitment and support of OACPS priorities for the sustainable development and growth of its fisheries and aquaculture;
  • Take stock of achievements and challenges of implementation of the Strategic Plan of Action for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012-20, and define specific policy and strategic interventions to address sectoral challenges under the proposed, draft Strategic Plan of Action, tabled for the meeting’s consideration;
  • Share national or regional good practices and identify collaborative approaches for replication in other members of the OACPS and Regions; and
  • Provide a forum to deepen cooperation and identify areas for strategic engagement with Partners in ocean governance, blue economy, fisheries and aquaculture development for the benefit of Members of the OACPS.

The two-day Ministerial meeting is preceded by a two-day preparatory meeting from 5-6 April, by Senior Officials to discuss topical issues related to sustainable development within the Members of the OACPS.

President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Mr Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will deliver the keynote address at the Official opening of the Ministerial Meeting on Thursday, 7 April 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Prior to the Ministerial, the OACPS hosted two virtual meetings on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Small Scale fisheries. The United Nations has declared 2022, the “International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture” In recognition of the significant role of the sector in food and nutrition security, contributing to the health and wellbeing, and livelihoods and economies the people of the OACPS. The 7th Ministerial meeting will, intra alia, consider small scale fisheries amongst other fisheries governance and policy issues with the aim of agreeing to concrete actions that will give momentum to the development of the sector.

About OACPS Ministerial Meetings

OACPS Ministerial Meetings provide a forum for policy discussions at Ministerial level among the Members of the OACPS. The first meeting was held at the Headquarters of the then, African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States in June 2009, the resolution of which established the ACP Ministerial Fisheries Mechanism. Subsequent ministerial meetings have since been held in the Seychelles (2010), Fiji (2012), Belgium (2015) and the Bahamas (2017) and Samoa (2019).

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the ACP Group of States, is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. The OACPS’ main goals centre around the sustainable development of its Member States and their gradual integration into the global economy; coordination of the activities of theOACPS in the framework of the implementation of the existing Partnership Agreement with the European Union; consolidation of unity and solidarity among OACPS States and establishment and strengthening of peace and stability in free and democratic societies.

For further enquiries, contact OACPS Press Office at Tel: +32-2-743 0617 or email: press@acp.int.

For more information, visit the Ministerial’s website at: www.oacpsghana.org.

Photo: Senior Officials at the 7th Meeting of OACPS Ministers in charge of Fisheries and Aquaculture

For more photos, see the Flickr albums.