The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development is currently using Geographic Information System (GIS) data for the management and development of the fisheries sector.

The Ministry, through the use of GIS in the aquaculture sector, had achieved the mapping out of suitable areas for aquaculture development and all existing aquaculture facilities in the country.

Mrs Shirley Ayittey, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, disclosed this at the 2016 celebration of Geographic Information System (GIS) Day at Legon.

It was on the theme 'GIS -An Essential Tool for Ghana's Development.'

Mrs Ayittey said the Ministry had also used the GIS to map out support facilities for aquaculture development as roads, markets and cold stores, adding that the data had helped the ministry to monitor the expansion of existing aquaculture facilities and facilitated data collection.

'GIS data has been used for the management of the marine fisheries through the tracking of the movement and location of fishing vessel using Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and Automatic Identifier System (AIS), she said, adding that the use of the VMS and IAS was a cost effect way of ensuring that vessels were compliant to fisheries laws and regulations.

The minister said the GIS data had helped to map out areas of high potential yield and distribution of fisheries resources and environmental parameters likely to have positive impact on the sector.

Mrs Ayittey said though efforts by various public, private and inter-governmental agencies, the number of organisations using GIS data worldwide had grown considerably over the last decade.

However, she said the human and organisational capacity needed to support the effective use of GIS in the country and many other African countries had remained structurally weak.

'As a nation, we need to ensure the full deployment of GIS and other relevant technologies to promote and sustain critical areas of national development including finding solutions to the annual devastating floods which are linked directly to climate change issues, traffic congestion, and land use planning.

She said the Ministry would also ensure functioning street address systems to assist the law enforcement agencies to fight crime and maintain law and order.

Mrs Ayittey expressed the hope that the celebration of the day would further constitute a significant springboard to implement clearly defined collaboration among stake holder institutions at the university level.

She said this would enable the university to provide the GIS the expertise needed in the short, medium and long term in the various sectors of Ghana's economy especially in the areas of environment, public health, agriculture, education and local government.

Professor P.W.K. Yankson, the Director of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory (RSGISLAB) said the Department of Geography and Resource Development had been spearheading the development of GIS in the country through teaching, research and extension activities centred on remote sensing and GIS laboratories since 1990.

He enumerated some of the challenges facing the institution as lack of a research centre and called on the Government and other corporate bodies to come to the aid of the institute.

Dr Tony Aubyn, the Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Commission, who chaired the function, commended the institute for its hard work and pledged the support of his outfit to towards its improvement.

GIS Day is celebrated annually on the third Wednesday of every November across the globe to bring together practitioners, businesses and policy makers to demonstrate real world geospatial applications that are making positive difference in our society.

GNA