The West African Region of World Aquaculture Society African Chapter will hold a Conference Report on May 16, 2021 in Ghana to review aquaculture policies in West Africa. 

The report is the first in a series that will review the governance structure of aquaculture in West Africa. The premise for writing this first report is based on international fisheries law. International Fisheries Treaties such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and many others require that management mechanisms should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they consistent in light of new challenges. 

“We will evaluate the activities of the various West African nations throughout the entire value chain (from production to consumption) to identify wastes and hazards which may cause resource misallocation to industries and smallholders. At the end of our analysis, we will provide recommendations to help member states develop consistent policies which are inclusive in nature and regulate all aspects of the entire value chain,” the organization said. 

The report aims to achieve that:

• All stakeholders are consulted before policies are developed to regulate aquaculture practices in West Africa.
• Stakeholders are free to speak their minds in meetings without fear of authority or seniority.
• Aquaculture policies are able to regulate all aspects of the value chain.
• The enforcement of aquaculture regulations is done using prescriptive and incentive mechanisms.
• Aquaculture management is part of public debate. People should be interested to talk about the way money meant for aquaculture development is used and other issues.  
• A second regional report should be written to evaluate the performance of member states in light of this first report.  

For more information and to register, contact info@wasacwar.com or visit wasacwar.com. The conference is part of the 2021 Aquaculture Conference in West Africa (WASACWAR).