Ghana inaugurates National Task force Team to advance the development of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries

Ghana, supported by FAO, is currently in the process of initiating its National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF), in line with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines). Marking a significant step toward strengthening sustainable and inclusive governance of the country’s small-scale fisheries sector. 

On 27 January, the first meeting and inauguration of the National Task force Team (NTT), was held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country Office in Accra, kicking off the process to develop the NPOA-SSF in the country. The Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, Prof. Benjamin Campion, formally inaugurated the NTT, officially launching the country’s NPOA-SSF process. He actively participated in the discussions, highlighting the Commission’s leadership and commitment to strengthening small-scale fisheries governance in Ghana. 

The newly formed NTT will steer the development of the NPOA-SSF, providing strategic direction, technical input and oversight throughout the process 

During the meeting, participants updated the national stakeholder mapping for small-scale fisheries, which had previously been conducted under the “Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for gender-equitable and climate-resilient food systems and livelihoods – Phase 2”  project. Notably, the National House of Chiefs was added as a key stakeholder to be engaged in the NPOA-SSF process, recognizing the important role of traditional authorities in fisheries governance and community leadership. 



The NTT agreed on a roadmap of capacity-building activities to support the drafting process. These include: 

• Training on a Gender Transformative Approach to strengthen gender responsiveness in the NPOA-SSF.
• A half-day online NPOA-SSF training to build foundational knowledge.
• An in-person NPOA-SSF training workshop to equip NTT and drafting committee members with the skills required to develop Ghana’s plan. 

The establishment of the NTT marks a major milestone in Ghana’s efforts to operationalize the SSF Guidelines at national level. With FAO’s technical support and strong institutional backing, the NPOA-SSF process is expected to promote sustainable resource management, inclusive decision-making and improved livelihoods for small-scale fishing communities across the country. 

• NPOA-SSF 
• Ghana SSF country page