• Provide support for closed seasons in lagoons imposed by traditional authorities
• Conduct research on abundance and distribution of fish stocks for effective
planning, development, exploitation and management of fish resources •
Control foreign fishing trawlers in Ghanaian waters
7.4 ENDANGERED SPECIES
There is urgent need to protect marine turtles and cetaceans dolphins and whales which are currently under threat from exploitation by fishermen. In addition the
endangered primates: Western Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes verus, Miss Waldron’s Red Colobus Procolobus badius waldroni, Western Black White Colobus Colobus
polykomos vellerosus, Roloway’s Diana Monkey Cercopithecus diana roloway and White-crested Mangabey Cercocebus atys lunulatus must be further protected from
poachers and hunters. The rare avifauna Himantopus ostralegus must be protected in the Amanzule wetlands along with important bird species including gallinules, crakes
and jacanas. Educational programs and enforcement of legislation should be undertaken in this
direction; the Community-Based Wildlife Management Policy initiated by the Wildlife Division which places responsibility for biodiversity conservation in the
hands of local communities should be vigorously pursued. There is also a need for a comprehensive survey of the coastal waters in the Region to investigate the
occurrence and population size of manatees to facilitate planning of effective conservation strategies.
7.5 OTHER NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRIORITIES •
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Ghana prepared in 2002 is currently under revision by the Ministry of Environment Science and
Technology. •
National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy under Review - Fisheries Commission.
• National Fisheries Regulations under preparation – Fisheries Commission.
• Plans to commence research to establish the biology and ecology of important
commercial fisheries to help in IUCN Redlist categorization - Fisheries Commission.
• National Wetlands Conservation Strategy Action Plan 2007–2016 adopted –
Forestry Commission. •
National Buffer Zone Policy for Water Resources under preparation – Water Resources Commission.
• Policy on Community Resource Management Areas CREMAs adopted –
Forestry Commision •
Natural Resource and Environmental Governance NREG being implemented – Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
• Draft proposal for the establishment of a Climate Change Commission to
facilitate awareness creation and sensitization on issues of climate change under consideration by the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology.
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8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
