USAID Team Pays Working Visit to University of Cape Coast

The Director at the Environment and Growth Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mr. Kevin Shan has called on the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. John Nelson Buah at the Council Chamber.   On the purpose for the visit, Mr. Kevin Shan, who was accompanied by Mr. Justice Odoi, USAID Environmental Specialist said the team was on official duty to see the progress of work and the way forward for the Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building Support Project and decided to take the opportunity to call on the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. J. Nelson Buah.   The Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building Support Project, is a five-year partnership initiative between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to contribute to the sustainable exploitation of marine fisheries of Ghana through research and targeted sensitization of stakeholders through capacity building. The project was awarded in October 2014. The project is crucial because Ghana’s fisheries generate far lower returns for the country than expected. Several factors drive the over-fishing that Ghana is experiencing. Welcoming the team, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor said management was appreciative of the partnership and were committed to work with USAID to achieve the aim of the project. “We have confidence in the UCC team because they are made up of experts who will work hard to execute the objective of the project’, he said.  He also indicated that for the project to succeed, UCC and USAID should work together. ‘This will not be only collaboration we are having but we look forward for more collaborations’, he concluded. Present at the meeting were the Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Prof. Johnson Boampong, Chair, PMB, Prof. Isaac Galyuon, Head, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and Project Manager, Dr. Denis Aheto. The others were the Coordinator, Centre for Coastal Management, Prof. John Blay and Dr. Noble Asare of Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.