The World Aquaculture Society's African Chapter West Africa Region opened registration for the 2021 Aquaculture Conference in West Africa (WASACWAR) which will take place from May 14-16, 2021 in Ghana, hosted by the Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana, with a hybrid event. The conference aims to look for a strategy to improve aquaculture governance for the region. 

There is a huge policy gap in aquaculture in West Africa that prevents the sustainable growth of the industry. These gaps are the result of policies and regulations structured to manage farmed species that do not regulate all aspects of the value chain and the opinions of those who know the real problems facing the industry are not reflected in management decisions. 

To address these problems, several regional and global organizations, such as the FAO and the UN, recommended inclusive, accountable and transparent governance as a tool in achieving sustainable aquaculture. Member states must all improve on their governance structure by learning from each other and also by implementing global recommendations. 

“To enable member states to learn from each other and improve their management structure, we need a platform where stakeholders in the various West African nations can veritably discuss pressing issues and experiences and also, a strategy that will facilitate the implementation of global recommendations in the member countries,” the organization said. 

The main topic of the conference is New Strategies to Promote Inclusion and Transparency in Aquaculture Management in West Africa. It will serve as a platform where member states can fully understand the real meaning of inclusive governance from recent research and also, how they can tailor global guidelines and recommendations to help them build robust and inclusive institutions in their various countries.

Registration and abstract submission are open here. For more information, contact info@wasacwar.com.