The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) has provided funding support to the Ghana Agriculture and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA) to implement a nationwide campaign aimed at combating illegal fishing and promoting marine conservation across Ghana.
The initiative, dubbed the “Save Our Sea (SOS) Campaign,” is a six-month journalism-led programme designed to strengthen the capacity of media practitioners to report effectively on marine and fisheries-related issues. The campaign seeks to address the growing concerns over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, declining fish stocks and the broader environmental threats facing Ghana’s coastal and marine ecosystems.
Through the partnership, GARDJA will organize a series of specialized training workshops for selected journalists from across the country. The training will focus on marine ecology, fisheries laws and governance, investigative environmental reporting, environmental data analysis and safety at sea. The objective is to equip journalists with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to produce credible, evidence-based reports that can influence policy reforms and promote sustainable fishing practices.
The first workshop under the SOS Campaign is scheduled to take place on March 2, 2026, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus in Kumasi. It will bring together selected journalists and resource persons, including marine scientists, fisheries experts and environmental governance specialists, to deepen participants’ understanding of Ghana’s marine ecosystem and the regulatory framework governing the fisheries sector.
Illegal fishing has long been identified as a major threat to Ghana’s fisheries industry, which supports millions of livelihoods, particularly in coastal communities. Destructive practices such as the use of prohibited fishing methods and disregard for closed seasons continue to undermine conservation efforts and threaten biodiversity. The SOS Campaign is therefore expected to enhance media scrutiny and encourage responsible stewardship of marine resources.
GARDJA believes that strengthening environmental journalism is critical to promoting transparency, accountability and informed public discourse on marine conservation. By empowering journalists to investigate and report comprehensively on fisheries management and ocean governance, the association aims to contribute meaningfully to national and global efforts to safeguard marine life and ensure the sustainable use of ocean resources.
The “Save Our Sea” Initiative underscores the growing recognition of the media’s role in advancing environmental sustainability and protecting biodiversity for present and future generations.
