GARDJA Secures International Grant for Nationwide ‘Save Our Sea’ Campaign to Combat Illegal Fishing

GARDJA Secures International Grant for Nationwide ‘Save Our Sea’ Campaign to Combat Illegal Fishing

By: Justice Baffour Awuah, managing editor,www.dailywatchgh.com-0246930931

Ghana Agriculture and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA) has secured funding support from the Earth Journalism Network to roll out a six-month nationwide journalism-driven environmental campaign dubbed “Save Our Sea (SOS).”

The ambitious initiative is aimed at tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing while promoting marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management across Ghana’s coastal and inland fishing communities.

The “Save Our Sea (SOS) Campaign” seeks to leverage the power of investigative and solution-oriented journalism to spotlight destructive fishing practices, enforce accountability, and amplify the voices of vulnerable fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on Ghana’s marine resources.

Capacity Building for Journalists
As part of the campaign implementation, GARDJA will organize a series of specialized training workshops designed to equip selected journalists with in-depth knowledge and practical skills in:

Marine ecology and coastal ecosystems
Fisheries laws and regulatory frameworks
Investigative environmental reporting
Environmental and fisheries data analysis
Safety protocols for field reporting at sea

The first workshop is scheduled to take place on March 2, 2026, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus in Kumasi.

The training will bring together selected journalists from across the country to build their capacity in covering marine and fisheries-related issues with accuracy, depth, and impact.

Strengthening Accountability Through Journalism GARDJA believes that strengthening the capacity of journalists to report effectively on environmental and fisheries governance will enhance public awareness, influence policy discussions, and support national efforts to protect Ghana’s marine resources from depletion.

Illegal fishing remains a major threat to Ghana’s coastal economy, undermining food security, marine biodiversity, and the livelihoods of thousands of artisanal fishers. Through sustained media engagement and investigative reporting, the SOS Campaign aims to contribute meaningfully to reversing this trend.

The six-month initiative is expected to culminate in a series of high-impact reports, community engagements, and stakeholder dialogues focused on safeguarding Ghana’s seas for future generations.