Assess Status of Critical Coastal Habitats
3.2.1.2 Network meetings of Western Region donors CRC intentionally organized periodic meetings to catalyze and draw synergy among Accra-
based donors active in the Western Region. These, however, were temporarily suspended for several reasons. First, the USAID bidding process for several important projects in the coastal
zone remains underway. Second, other donors—notably the German development agency, GTZ, the World Bank, and Oxfam—were also ramping up their investments in the Western
Region and were yet to select their implementation partners. For both these reasons, CRC chose to wait until the USAID contractsawards have been completed and until other
international donors have selected their project implementers before moving ahead with organizing these donor meetings in Year 2 of the Initiative.
3.2.1.3 Fisheries sector meetings The initial fisheries and coastal zone management sector meeting was held in February 2010 in
Accra. Present were representatives from three NGOs, two donors, and three governmental institutions. Unfortunately, representatives from the World Bank and FAO were unable to attend.
However, they and the Director of the Fisheries Commission have stated their intention to attend future meetings. These meetings may evolve into a working group on fisheries that
provides information to the Fisheries Commission. The outputs of the first meeting included an exchange of information on the activities and plans
of different organizations and institutions and a presentation from the newly created unit for coastal zone management within the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. Further,
the GCLME formally invited CRC to participate in their advisory committee meeting held in July 2010.
3.2.1.4 Contributions to the Planned World Bank and NEPAD Investments CRC has closely followed the planning of a US48 million World Bank investment in Ghana’s
fisheries sector slated for 2011. This planning has been ongoing under a US2 million investment from the UKs Department of International Development DFID to the New
Partnership for Africas Development NEPAD, which coordinates a series of consultant teams and consultative processes. The World Bank representatives supervising the planning in Accra
and in Washington have been very active in linking the planning teams to the ICFG Initiative so as to share information, experiences, and to best shape their investments. CRC has been able
to provide substantial input into the recommendations of several visiting consultants to the Western Region, notably on the analysis of social impacts from possible infrastructural
investments, to enhancing enforcement and promoting compliance and co-management. Through this collaborative process, it is expected that the investments of the Initiative and of the
Bank will be more coherent and complementary. CRC has also pushed for the Western Region to be a pilot for creative thinking and extension work on fisheries co-management and related
actions for compliance and enforcement with the new regulations.