Hen Mpoano launches projects to restore fisheries and promote gender-inclusive marine conservation

Hen Mpoano, an NGO focused on coastal and marine ecosystem governance, has launched two complementary projects aimed at reviving Ghana’s declining fisheries and ensuring gender-equitable conservation.

The first initiative, “With Fishers, For Fishers: Sustaining Ghana’s Fisheries Recovery,” funded by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, targets 21 coastal communities in the Western and Central Regions. It focuses on strengthening fisheries co-management, rebuilding depleted fish stocks, and enhancing community resilience.

The second project, “Gender-Responsive Conservation: Integrating GBV Considerations into the Proposed Marine Protected Area of the Greater Cape Three Points Area,” runs from 2025 to 2027 and is implemented in partnership with The Ark Foundation and CEWEFIA, funded by the Norwegian Government. This project aims to ensure that Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area (MPA) initiative is sustainable and gender-inclusive, protecting fishing livelihoods while conserving marine ecosystems.

Mr Kofi Agbogah, Director of Hen Mpoano, emphasised that both projects would deepen engagement between fishers and state actors, ensuring inclusive participation in decision-making.

“These projects reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that conservation and fisheries recovery go hand in hand with gender equality, social protection, and community empowerment,” he stated.

The projects also prepare communities for the rollout of Ghana’s Marine Protected Area initiative, ensuring that women fishers and vulnerable groups are safeguarded during implementation.

Mrs Emelia Arthur, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, commended Hen Mpoano’s efforts and underscored the government’s commitment to inclusive, equitable, and sustainable gains across sectors.

“The future we will build is community-driven, inclusive, and gender-responsive, in partnership with integrity, accountability, and care for our shared waters,” she said.

Mr John Mikal Kvistad, Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, highlighted Norway’s support, emphasising that healthy oceans require both sound science and active participation of women and men, free from discrimination and violence.

These projects signal a transformative approach to Ghana’s fisheries sector, aligning environmental sustainability with social equity and gender inclusion